All That Matters
by Hemogasms
Summary: Callie learns that love can be hardcore, Arizona learns how to come undone. When Arizona needs her most can Callie be her good man in a storm? Pre-babydrama. T for now. SHELVED due to lack of inspiration/other fics SORRY!
1. Do You Remember?

**AN: The first chapter of what I hope will be a series, I have a plot mapped out in my project pad, and here's where it begins ****. This chapter's for everyone who reviewed my last story, as it was their encouragement that gave me the kick up the butt I needed to get this finished tonight ****. Reviews are love, and I do my best to return the favour. **

**If I owned Greys we'd see a hell of a lot more Calzona on screen, sadly I just like to fill in the gaps ****.**

By the time Doctor Arizona Robbins finally strode across the lobby, and out of the large glass doors of Seattle Grace-Mercy West Hospital, the sun was long set below the sleepy autumn skyline of the city. As Arizona headed towards her car, parked across the lot, she caught sight of her fellow attending Teddy Altman, and in the spirit of their newly blossoming friendship, used the last of her energy to give her best dazzling smile and a wave over the rows of stationary vehicles, before climbing into her own car.

The day had been long, too long. Surgeries had been back to back after a ceiling had collapsed at a local junior school. Seeing so many children in pain, and fighting to relieve it, drained Arizona's energy, meaning once the threat was removed and all her kids were out of the woods, or as out as they could be, the adrenaline trailed off and she crashed.

Leaning back into the driver's seat, Arizona let out a sigh and allowed her eyes to close momentarily as she fought to clear her head. Work was important to Arizona, and at times her Peds unit felt like her home, but right now at her apartment, her actual home, she know her girlfriend Calliope Torres was waiting. With this in mind she opened her eyes and turned the key in the ignition, reminding herself of an old saying of her mothers, 'Work is what you come home from, not what you go home to'_...right, got it, home to Calliope, _and with that she hit play on her favourite CD and pulled out of the parking lot.

As Arizona stepped out of the lift and onto the landing outside her apartment, she couldn't deny she felt beat, even the thought of her beautiful Latino girlfriend, with her dark chocolate eyes and strawberry lips couldn't awaken her from her exhausted state. Swinging open the door to her apartment Arizona was greeted by an assault on her senses, La Tortura drifted through the living room, emanating from the kitchen, accompanied by Callie singing in heavily accented Spanish. The smell of aromatic spices, cooked peppers and onions also filled the room as Arizona plonked her bag onto the sofa, and her heart fell as she noticed the pillows and cutlery arranged by the large glass panelled wall, looking over a stunning scene of Seattle by night.

Any other evening, this, what she guessed Calliope had planned, would be an amazing surprise to come home to, but tonight all she wanted was to curl up in her bed with the woman she loved, and sleep off an incredibly rough twenty hour day. _Okay, she's obviously gone to a lot of trouble to do this for you Arizona, suck it up and don't fall asleep in what smells like your fajitas, _she told herself as she headed for the kitchen,_ after all, what's another few hours, especially if they're to be spent with... _

"CALLIOPE?!",

"Oh Crap...Arizona" Callie looked flustered, "Hi, umm, I thought you were going to call when you were on your way home... thought I might err, surprise you with... dinner", Callie broke off, exasperated and waved the ladle she was using to stir the fajita mix in an explanatory manner. Arizona barely heard a word as she allowed her eyes to roam over Callie's exposed olive skin, _after all I can look, she is my practically naked girlfriend, in my kitchen, and my god she's..._

"Arizona..." Callie broke into her chain of thought,

"Oh Calliope, dinner, super" Arizona paused smiling, "Not that I'm complaining, but why the lack of clothing?" she continued gesturing to Callie's lingerie. A smirk spread over Callie's face as she dropped her ladle and walked around the counter towards her beautiful blonde girlfriend,

"This was supposed to be for later" she explained with a wink, "I was going to change, but being the rock star chef that I am decided to wait in case I spilled" she stopped as she stood in front of Arizona raising an eyebrow, "_You_ were meant to call".

"I am so sorry, after today I was just so glad to finally be coming home to you...and I didn't even know you'd be waiting for me in lingerie" she paused giving Callie another once over before continuing "Just all the sick children, the hurt children, today has just been...demanding". Callie watched as Arizona shook her head, her blonde curls bouncing around her face as she seemed to be trying to shake the events of the day from her mind. She noticed the dark circles that shadowed her girlfriend's brilliant blue eyes, and the redness around her lids, from what she guessed would have been a good cry in the shower before she came home.

"Why don't you go sit down Ari" she offered, "I've got this" Callie looked over, and could see the internal war the blonde was having as conflicting emotions flitted across her face, torn between wanting to help and the exhaustion that was threatening to pull her under. "Okay. You. Sofa. Now." Callie demanded, smiling to herself as Arizona scrunched her nose at her in response, before complying and sidling off towards to lounge, her step just a little less springy than normal.

Left to her own thoughts Callie returned to stove, stirring her fajita mix slowly, she'd put a lot of effort into tonight. Lunch for the last four days had been spent boring Mark to death with planning so it would be perfect; the cooking, the lingerie... _that went well, _the candlelit dinner in the dark, followed by a long luxurious bubble bath, then early to bed...and lo and behold, once again things were not going to plan. Arizona was clearly exhausted, and had she forgotten?

_No_ Callie told herself, _she wouldn't, I mean she's Arizona, she's all smiles and rainbows and surprise parties, this isn't the kind of thing she'd just forget...is it? _As much as Callie wanted tonight to go with a bang, she knew that right now, despite what she might want, it wasn't what Arizona needed. With a heavy sigh and her thoughts having a yelling match in her already overworked brain, she turned off the stove and covered her dishes, placing them in the refrigerator. _I'm a rock star ortho goddess, why does it matter if tonight isn't going to happen?_

She slammed the door, _yeah I cooked and I cleaned, and I put on stupid lingerie..._the thoughts came hard and fast, and she couldn't help but succumb to the niggling feelings of neglect and disappointment rising inside her, _it's not like she did this on purpose, like she chose today to have a ward full of sick kids that needed her to work late and exhaust herself saving their lives..._With that she felt bad, as hard as she had tried to make tonight perfect, she realised that perfect was subject to change, and tonight _was_ going to be perfect _for Arizona_, that she was determined of... Even if it was going to go a little differently than originally planned.

As Callie stepped into the lounge, having tidied after her cooking efforts, she instantly knew she had done the right thing. Arizona was half sat half slumped on the sofa, her head resting on her arm and curls cascading over her face, her heavy breathing indicated her deep and exhausted sleep. Callie stood for a moment, she looked so peaceful with the moonlight shining in, throwing silver beams across her pale skin, her lips drawn into a slight pout.

It absolutely amazed her how someone who looked so small when they were still could light up an entire room the way she knew Arizona could. At first her perkiness had grated on Callie and been something she'd found hard to fathom, but now it was just another addition to the endless list of reasons why she loved Arizona Robbins more than anything or anyone. Smiling to herself she crossed the room and scooped her sleeping beauty into her arms, kissing her on the temple as she groaned in her sleep and wrapped her arms around her neck as they moved into the bedroom.

Setting Arizona down on the bed she gently pulled off what clothing she could without waking her, before tucking her under the blankets. Satisfied that her girlfriend was warm and comfortable, she headed back into the lounge to work on perhaps the sappiest thing she Callie Torres had ever done in her whole life. Staring down at the project she had been working on for the past few days, Callie realised that now she was with Arizona nothing felt sappy anymore.

She loved her with every inch of her being, and despite what she might have thought before she met her, showing somebody that you love them, if you love them as entirely as she knew she loved Arizona, was actually pretty hardcore. _Yeah really hardcore over here Torres_, she laughed to herself, sticking the last piece of sparkly decoration in place, before taking the item she had been working on and creeping past Arizona's sleeping form, hiding it in her bedside drawer next to the other gift she had picked out earlier that week.


	2. Effortless

**AN: Sorry for taking so long to update, I've been really sick, and just not had the energy to write. If you don't believe me ask my bff Callie911, who has very graciously put up with all my complaining this week :p. Because of said illness I've split this chapter in half, just to get something up and posted even though I'm still not feeling great. Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter, so so appreciated, and don't worry I haven't forgotten about the gifts, you're just going to have to wait a little longer ;).**

**Roses are red, violets are blue, Callie and Ari aren't mine, so please don't sue...**

It had been just over an hour and a half since Callie had crawled into bed beside a dead to the world Arizona. She knew that by now, after a long day of surgery then cooking she should be exhausted, yet she lay awake in the dark, her arms wrapped protectively around her partners waist, their bodies curved around each other as one of them slept, and the other tossed and turned mentally. Feeling the warmth of Arizona's sleeping form, hearing her even breaths count out the time as she lay in the dark, Callie was glad she had decided to change her plans for the evening and let Arizona rest. However part of her still wished there was someone with her, to share the thoughts that rolled through her brain like an old-fashioned slide show stuck on a loop.

In less than half an hour Arizona will have been a part of her life for six months, a whole half of a year, a half year of commitment, trust and unwavering love. _Sure_ Callie thought to herself, _I've been married before, and doesn't everyone just know it, so this shouldn't seem like a huge deal, but somehow it does. With George I made a commitment, a stupid one but still, with Erica I made a commitment, best damn one I ever made because it lead me here. Both of those commitments should seem momentous in comparison, marriage and realising I'm gay, but somehow they don't. Marrying O'Malley wasn't about love, it was a fight, to fit in and not just be the creepy ortho chick that used to live in the basement, or the girl that loses her boyfriend. Somehow marriage was supposed to make a relationship which was destined to fail stronger..._She paused rolling her eyes at her own logic. _Great idea there Torres...yeah really get where you were going with that one. Then there was Erica, sure visiting the mother ship was a big deal, hell a huge one, I mean I asked Bailey... Bailey of all people, for sex advice. But still Erica was just the stepping stone, just the beginning, a piece of the realisation that lead me to Ari._ Feeling Arizona shift slightly under her arms Callie broke from her thoughts and reached up to stroke her blonde curls. _But Arizona, this is different. This is real. Sure we danced around each other for a while at first, but there has never been any obligation, no need to try, to seek reassurance or justification. She's just Arizona, and she's awesome...We're awesome. We're now the stable couple, Me Callie Torres, I'm in THE stable couple, and it's just effortless._

Smiling to herself in the dark she glanced over at the illuminated clock face on the night stand, 11.58pm. _Just two minutes and I Calliope Torres will have been in a committed loving adult relationship for a whole half a year. _A faint buzzing noise emanating from somewhere beneath the sheets broke the silence. Before she had chance to investigate further Arizona shot bolt upright from beneath her grip, yanking her madly vibrating cell phone from her pocket, before letting it drop to the bed, rubbing her eyes and running her fingers through her now wildly curly hair. "Ari?" Callie asked concerned, watching as she rolled onto her side to face her, her head propped on one hand as she leant on her elbow. "Hey" she replied her voice still husky from sleep, and a brilliant smile that flashed her dimples tugging at her lips. "Aren't you gonna get that?" Callie asked confused, motioning down to the cell phone still buzzing on Arizona's side of the bed. "Oh, nope" she hit the end button on the device, still smiling, "I am not gonna get that" she continued her expression turning devious "Because there is nothing to get" "Uhuh?" Now Callie really was confused, _has she finally lost it_ she thought to herself, _I know she's roller girl and queen of the perky, but seriously..._ "Calliope close your mouth before you start catching flies" Arizona let out a small giggle, "Like I always tell my kids, it's rude to stare". "Umm...Yes Miss" Callie retorted with a smirk, still confused about the whole turn of events. "And to look at people like they're insane... I know exactly what you're thinking Calliope", "My apologies oh great and powerful peds girl" Callie joked. Glancing at the clock on the night stand, Arizona smiled..._30 seconds to go, perfect timing,_ she gave herself a mental high five before continuing.

"The reason I didn't take the call isn't because I'm losing my mind from spending all day immersed in the magic and mystery that is paeds, it's because that wasn't a call, it was an alarm." Callie's eyes grew wide but she said nothing, _she's setting alarms for five to midnight now, and she tells me she's not losing her mind...really?_ "After the day I had, as much as I wanted to believe otherwise, I kinda suspected I would end up asleep on the job, so to speak" she paused trying to gauge Callie's reaction from the smile starting to pull at the corners of her mouth, but seeing that she was giving nothing away she pressed on, "I wanted to be sure I'd be awake to tell you that I love you Calliope Iphigenia Torres." Arizona took a breath as Callie's smirk cracked into a full on grin with teeth, "You're amazing, and for somebody I mistook for a newborn" Arizona paused to collect herself as a blush flooded across her cheeks in reaction to her past mistake. "God you're so adorable when you do that" Callie had to interrupt, reaching across to brush a stray lock of hair back from Arizona's eyes, "Hey!" Arizona protested, "I'm not done" with an expression the feigned innocence Callie withdrew the offending hand. "For somebody I mistook for a newborn..." Arizona began again, conviction evident in her voice, "I have learned more from you in our time together than I have from anyone else my entire life" she paused eyeing the clock again, Callie's eyes followed her gaze, her expression unreadable...5,4..."Which is why I want to say"...3,2,1... "Happy six month anniversary Calliope".

"Happy today" Callie replied simply, her eyes shining, hinting at the tears what were fighting their way to the surface. "I love you Arizona" "I love you too Calliope. You didn't think I'd miss this did you?" she enquired with a cheeky grin, "Now I know you wouldn't" Callie smiled back, "Permission to touch?" Her dark eyes bore into Arizona's soul, and she knew beyond any doubt that she had everything she'd ever need right here in front of her, all rolled into this one amazing woman. "Permission granted" she relied a squeal of excitement escaping her lips as Callie shot across the bed, pouncing on her, showering her with kisses.


	3. Surprises

**AN: This chapters pretty long, makes up for the last one that was short, and hopefully will make everybody happy who read my other fic 'For What it's Worth' and got majorly depressed at the lack of Calzona love. For anyone who hasn't read my stuff before **_**italics**_** is when somebody is thinking :),unless it's to indicate stresses in speech. Enjoy! If you want more, review and tell me so!**

**I still don't own Ari and Callie, but a girl can dream right?...Oh but I did however, **_**get into Medical School today :D!**_

The sun leaked through the half closed blinds, throwing rays of light around the room, as Arizona lay in bed wide awake. She smiled as she watched Callie roll over and wrap her arm around her waist, before burying her face in the pillow as she slept. Watching her girlfriend's head disappear under the covers, Arizona let a small giggle slip from her lips, which exploded into an even bigger one, as Callie woke up and made a horrified face noticing Arizona staring down at her, laughing.

"Uhh...What's funny?" she groaned, her eyes half closed, still groggy from sleep. She glanced over at the clock "Oh Crap! Arizona! It's almost eight! You are so late for work!" and with that she sat up ready to spring out of bed, before a hand grabbed her firmly by the wrist and pulled her back in.

"Calliope it's your day off" Arizona reminded her,

"Yeah, but it isn't yours peds, so let me go make you some coffee while you get your cute little butt in the shower, 'kay?" Callie was on full alert mode now.

"No, not okay" Arizona replied, laughing as Callie looked at her for the second time in twenty four hours like she was actually insane. "It's not okay because my first surprise for you today, is that _today is_ my day off" Arizona grinned as Callie's expression changed from confused to joyous, then back to confused again,

"Wait, first...surprise?" she gulped. Arizona just laughed and leaned over to give her a quick kiss, before pulling her off the bed and into the shower.

After a hasty breakfast Arizona all but dragged Callie to the car and now they were approaching their destination, she was being particularly insistent.

"Calliope! I can see you peeking!" she gave her girlfriend a stern look, "Close your eyes and cover them!"

"Okay, okay" Callie grumbled, doing as she was asked, "I'm not four" she muttered to herself. She knew that where they were going...wherever that was... was obviously somewhere Arizona wanted to make a surprise, so she decided to let her have her fun...for now. Shortly after the car skidded to a halt Callie felt a hand guiding her up, so she stepped out and allowed herself to be lead forward,

"Okay, almost there, don't look!". Arizona sounded so excited, that despite feeling slightly silly Callie had to smile...

"I'm not looking, but it kinda smells like..."

"Open your eyes!" Arizona yanked Callie's hands away from her face and watched as she took in her surprise for the day,

"Horses" Callie finished, slightly shocked.

Callie stared from Arizona, who looked pleased enough to burst, to the two large animals facing them, one a palomino with a long flowing mane and a delicate bone structure, the second a considerably larger, heavy set, powerful looking horse, totally black in colour. Noticing the saddles both the horses wore, Callie thought back nervously, _Okay so maybe I did tell Arizona I used to ride as a kid, I mean it technically wasn't a lie, there was that one week at summer camp...oh crap..._

"I'll take the blonde!" Callie announced, quickly claiming the slightly less daunting palomino.

"Sure" Arizona smiled, and Callie watched awestruck as she vaulted gracefully onto what looked to her, like the incredible hulk of the horse world... with ease.

After hauling herself up onto her own mount Callie couldn't help but watch Arizona, who had gotten bored of waiting for her, canter around the outdoor ring. Seeing her tiny frame perched amid the huge and powerful black horse made Callie tingly all over, she really was amazing.

"Show off!" Callie yelled, she thought of adding a remark about kicking her butt later, but quickly stopped, realising she wasn't even sure if she could stay in the saddle after all these years. _Here goes nothing_ she thought to herself as she nudged her horse forward, luckily he seemed happy to comply and strolled over to meet Arizona at the entrance to the ring.

"Can I come in?" she asked as Arizona headed back towards her,

"Nope"

"Umm okay",

"You can't come in Calliope, because we're not riding in here today" a wry smile pulled at the corners of her lips, she was enjoying taking charge, "We're riding over there". Callie followed her gaze over to a string of hills behind the ranch,

"Let's hope Blondie here's not afraid of heights then" she laughed, giving her mount an affectionate pat.

"His name is Sandy, and this is Thunder" Arizona informed her as she headed towards the trail, glancing back to make sure her girlfriend was following. _I'm a bad ass ortho chick, I can ride a horse, it's easy... I fix bones for a living, I can stay on the horse, it's like riding a bike, and I have done this before..._Callie assured herself as Sandy set off, eager to catch up with Thunder.

An hour later Callie was sat happily astride her horse, following Thunder's huge black rump up the rocky trails, listening as Arizona yelled out things that would have been positively embarrassing coming from anyone else, but from her they were just plain cute,

"Oh look Calliope...a deer!". Callie grinned to herself, soon after they'd left the ranch she'd discovered that her week at summer camp as a kid had paid off, and she'd soon had sandy keeping stride with Thunder as she rose and fell easily to his trot. Being up there, just the two of them, exploring the great outdoors made Callie feel so free and at ease with the world. All the stresses and strains of their hectic schedules at the hospital melted effortlessly away, as she noticed how Arizona's curls shone in the sun while she skilfully navigated Thunder across the rocky terrain.

Only the soft clop of the horses' hooves broke the silence, as the path levelled to reveal a dirt track that wound through a forest. Feeling confident in her newly resurrected riding ability, Callie saw her chance

"Wanna race roller girl?" she asked, breaking Sandy into a trot alongside Arizona, "Ten bucks says I beat you to the end". Arizona smiled; she loved this side of Calliope, cheeky, adventurous and so free. She was momentarily distracted from the preposition, as she let her eyes wander over the Tanned skin of her arms left exposed by her shirt, and she couldn't help but notice the pull of her jeans on her thighs as she rose and fell in time with her horses stride.

"Ten bucks?" she questioned, scrunching her nose to make an unimpressed face, but keeping her eyes glued to the trail ahead.

"Fine, twenty" Callie raised her, slightly bemused by her unwillingness to compete. "Mmm..." Arizona replied, pretending to consider her offer, still scoping out the forest ahead.

"How about..." she turned to Callie giving her best seductive glance, "the winner gets...bedroom favours for a week?" She watched as Callie's eyes turned to saucers. Before she could open her mouth to yell 'deal!', Callie saw Arizona and Thunder lunge forward, setting off down the trail at a blistering pace. _Ohh she has had it now_, she thought to herself as she spurred sandy forward and galloped down the track after her rapidly vanishing girlfriend.

~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~

That night Callie paced around the lounge, stopping occasionally to stretch out her muscles that were beginning to ache after the day's activities.

"Come on Arizona" she called towards the bedroom, "Half an hour to choose a dress...Really?",

"Calliope it takes time to look this good" came the muffled reply from behind the door. Callie laughed, perching on the edge of the sofa pulling her dress, a mid thigh length grey shirt-dress with little studded decorations along the pockets, down as she did so. The day had been amazing, Callie had caught Arizona on the trails and they were neck and neck with half a mile to the finish, another smile spread across Callie's face as she remembered the determined look on Arizona's face, as she'd hauled Thunder into a punishing right turn off the track, before guiding him into a perfect jump over a huge fallen trunk, then cutting back to the trail just around the bend to literally pip Callie to the post. _She's so cute when she's competitive_ Callie thought to herself, remembering Arizona's attempt at a victory dance on horseback as she'd sang 'In your face Torres' halfway back to the ranch. _Of course she's competitive, she's a surgeon. Speaking of, what the hell is she doing in there, making herself a dress from scratch with her running whip stitch?_

As if to answer her thoughts she heard the handle of the bedroom door turning, and she had to resist the urge to physically pinch herself as Arizona stepped into the room. She looked simply stunning; there was just no other word for it. Her blonde locks were silky and straight, cascading down to tickle her shoulders, and the dress she wore flattered her flawless body. Callie let her eyes follow its shape, a simple black strapless that cut across her chest, leaving her shoulders and collar bones totally exposed. She swallowed, barely able to breathe as she traced her eyes down to where the dress clung perfectly to Arizona's waist, following her curves precisely, before it cut off again slightly higher than mid thigh. It was perfect, it was more than perfect, _the little black dress_ Callie mused to herself with an appreciative mental whistle. On any other woman it might have posed the threat of looking cheap, but on Arizona, with her baby blues and adorable smile it was just breath taking. Looking back to Arizona's face Callie was overcome with the love she felt welling up inside her. Somehow standing there in front of her, Arizona looked kind of like a teenager before the prom, her eyes wide, and her expression slightly anxious, waiting as she was scrutinized, for approval from her date. Seeing her standing there looking so innocent, so god damn perfect and not even knowing it, just waiting for her to say something, Callie made a split second decision, and a smile instantly spread across her face at the thought.

"Wait here" she said to Arizona, then disappeared into the bedroom.

Tugging at the corners of her dress Arizona suddenly felt self-conscious; did Calliope think she looked stupid? _Oh crap, too much, I knew it, I mean come on, the little black dress, on you – Arizona...really? Calliope hates it, she's probably in there calling Mark trying to figure out how the hell to tell you to take it off without provoking a sex ban. _Arizona felt her heart dropping, suddenly she wished she was back in her scrubs, her comfy, practical scrubs and her super fun heeleys whizzing around the hospital, where she was cool, calm and collected Dr Robbins, not here in the lounge where she was stupid Arizona waiting for her date to tell her she chose the right dress.

She was just debating taking off the offending garment and letting calliope come back to her practically naked, _at least then I could easily make her forget all of this_, when the bedroom door opened again and Callie burst back into the lounge.

"Arizona I'm sure how to say this" she began, _Oh crap, here we go Arizona, here it comes, she's going to try and politely tell you that you look awful, _"I'm just knocked totally speechless, and you know how rare that is for me." Callie paused, laughing at her own joke, before she noticed Arizona looking like a deer caught in the headlights and quickly continued, straightening her face. "Baby you look amazing, stunning, absolutely breath taking" Callie watched amused as a rush of colour burst into Arizona's cheeks, "The dress is beautiful, and you, god Ari, you are so, so beautiful". She looked deep into her perfect blue eyes, barely believing what she Callie Torres was saying, but feeling the emotion coursing through her, spurring her on, she continued.

"Arizona you're perfect" she almost whispered, her voice dripping with sincerity, "You're perfect and I love you so much". Arizona could feel the tears creeping into her eyes, Calliope, her Calliope, usually so strong and fiery was stood before her pouring out her heart, calling her perfect, saying all the words that flew her directly to cloud nine and threatened to never let her back down. "I have something for you" Callie continued, "it's just a gift...I'm not proposing, but it's kind of more than a gift; it's a promise" pulling a tiny box from behind her back Callie continued, wondering where the hell she was finding the words, but seems they'd come out okay so far definitely not complaining.

"I love you so much Ari, and I know I mess up at times, hell, most of the time, but I promise you I'll always try for you, I'll always fight for you." She paused to wipe away a tear that had escaped and was rolling down Arizona's cheek. "I make mistakes Ari, but you're the person I want to make them with, I choose you. I want to do things right for you, for us. All I want is to make you happy, and I promise, I swear to you, that I'll always try my best to do that." Arizona smiled, causing more tears to stray down her face, too overwhelmed to do anything but nod as Callie passed her the little box, "Open it".

Arizona ran her fingers over the delicate gold trim, tracing the design before she carefully lifted the lid. What she saw inside made her gasp, her breath catching in her throat as she studied the ring pressed between two folds in the black velvet lining.

"Calliope, I...it's... I love you" she finally managed; Callie smiled at seeing her usually chatty blonde speechless. Wiping away the tears that were threatening to ruin Arizona's makeup, Callie leaned in and gave her a gentle kiss, before pulling back to remove the ring from its box. After Callie slid the ring onto the third finger on her right hand Arizona smiled, it was a perfect fit. She held it up to the light and again marvelled at its beauty. It was made up of three delicate white gold strands, interlinked and weaving above and below each other in an intricate pattern. Set into two of the strands were two heart shaped stones, rare blue diamonds, the exact shade of Arizona's eyes, that sparkled where they sat.

Captivated by her new jewellery Arizona barely noticed Callie move past her, to stand behind her and wrap her arms around her waist. She leaned back gratefully as she kissed her neck.

"Calliope it's beautiful, it's perfect, thank you so much"

"It was my Abuela's...My grandmother's" she explained, clarifying her Spanish, "Oh Calliope, really you shouldn't..." Arizona moved to take off the ring and return it to her,

"If it belongs to your family you should keep it." Covering Arizona's hands with her own Callie stopped her, her lips close to her ear as she spoke,

"Arizona you are my family. I love you and I want you to have it, I trust you". Wondering what she did to deserve such an amazing woman, Arizona turned around in her arms, and pressed her lips to Callie's, in a kiss of pure undiluted love.

As the kiss quickly became passionate desperate for air Callie reluctantly pulled away, a lopsided grin on her face.

"Come on, we'd better hit the road if we're gonna make our dinner reservations", knowing she was right Arizona let the brunette lead her to the door, before pulling her back to a halt,

"Oh and Calliope" Callie turned back, her face questioning,

"Yeah?". Arizona let her eyes slide purposefully slowly down Callie's body,

"You know what seeing you in that dress does to me". Secretly please Callie decided that faking innocence could most definitely lead to bliss in this case,

"Do I?" she asked, pretending to be confused,

"Maybe you'll have to remind me later" she suggested with a devilish look,

"Oh it will be _my_ pleasure" Arizona purred, as they headed out of the apartment door to the restaurant.

~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~

Later than evening Callie plonked down on the bed, and groaned as Arizona half lay half fell on top of her. Both had been particularly indulgent at their favourite restaurant, after all they were celebrating their six month anniversary.

"I have a food baby" Callie declared, patting her stomach and rolling Arizona off her and onto the bed beside her,

"Urghh, me too" Arizona moaned, "But the pasta was to die for"

"Mmm, orgasmic" Callie agreed. Arizona perked up at the words,

"Oh really Doctor Torres, that good huh? I'm not sure how I feel about being outdone by a food." She leant over to hover her lips inches above Callie's, one hand starting to make short work of the buttons on her dress while she leant on her head on the other.

"Well _Doctor Robbins"_ Callie replied, she loved flirty, naughty Arizona, "Before you remind me of all the reasons why you rule that food group, there's one last thing I want to give you while it's today" she motioned to the clock that read five to midnight.

"Wait" Arizona jumped up suddenly distracted, "there's something I want to give you too!" Callie's buttons were immediately forgotten, and she resisted to urge to moan and the abrupt loss of contact,

"Okay, well you first then" she laughed doubting she had a choice seeing how excited Arizona had suddenly become... again.

"Close your eyes!" Arizona instructed, unsure how much more eye-closing she could take, Callie did as she was told in the spirit of the day.

After a few seconds of rustling a thin packet was placed into Callie's left hand,

"Okay, open them...open it, just open!" Arizona nearly exploded. Opening her eyes Callie ripped open the brown paper packet to reveal a plain white paper wallet, she pulled back the tab and removed the two long thin cards inside...

"Arizona?!" she couldn't help but yell.."These, these are plane tickets?!"

"No way?!" Arizona joked, pretending to be surprised, "I don't believe you bought us plane tickets!", Callie was amazed,

"But hey there's this sticker thingy stuck over the destination, I wanna see where we're going!" she declared, like a child unable to wait any longer to open her Christmas presents she began eagerly peeling at one of Arizona's 'I was good for my doctor' stickers.

"Nope" Arizona quickly smacked the offending hand away,

"That's for me to know and you to find out", _this is so typical Arizona,_ Callie thought_, trying to take charge and keep me guessing,_

"You, Miss Robbins are a tease!" Callie pouted,

"Would you like to make an official complaint?" Arizona asked her voice suddenly sweet and seductive; she climbed on top of Callie, staring down at her as she straddled her hips...

"I...um...no" Callie finished, her eyes setting on fire as Arizona picked up where she left off on her buttons. "Baby I can't believe we're going on holiday!" was the last thing Callie could say before Arizona's lips crashed into her own, and she disappeared into paradise as their clothes were strewn across the floor.

An hour later, they lay close together, their arms and legs tangled as Callie grazed Arizona's temple with her lips,

"You bought us plane tickets" she whispered,

"I know" Arizona replied, "A whole two weeks of having you all to myself was too good an excuse to pass up, and Shepherd was fine with clearing our schedules".

"Hey!" Callie said suddenly thinking back to all her sparkly decoration effort, "I didn't get to give you my other gift on the day". Seeing her girlfriend looking slightly defeated Arizona leaned up to kiss her on the cheek,

"Calliope you already gave me the best gift I could have asked for..."

"It was that good huh?" A smug look spread across Callie's face_, just wait till Mark hears that one, _she thought_, Sloan method 0 – Torres method 50_.

"Not the sex Calliope" Arizona interrupted, she couldn't help but smile at the goofy expression on Callie's face, "You." Callie smiled back and gave her a quick kiss before pulling away to reach into the drawer of her night stand.

"Better late than never right?".

They sat up together, their legs under the duvet, their bodies pressed closed as they flipped through the scrap book Callie had made. Arizona loved it, seeing all the pictures of them throughout the course of their relationship, seeing how they'd changed. Somehow Callie had even found the very first photo they'd ever had together, the staff picture taken shortly after Arizona had moved to the hospital. They'd both laughed, for what felt like hours, at the look Callie was giving Arizona in the snap, it was stuck somewhere between fear and awe. As they settled down into bed, the book carefully placed on Arizona's nightstand, she rested her head on Callie's shoulder; she loved how it fit perfectly there, just like that was where she was always meant to have been.

"Calliope that is the nicest gift anyone has ever given me, nobody has ever taken the time to do something like that for me before, all those photos, the decoration." Arizona smiled into the dark at the thought of her Calliope; the strong, bold, fiery Latino sat cross legged on the floor of Mark's apartment pritt stick in hand, gluing shiny hearts into the scrap book. "Thank you" she added, "I love you Calliope Torres",

"I love you too, Arizona Robbins" Callie replied, before they both snuggled closer and drifted into a contented sleep.


	4. Trials and Turmoil

**Hey all, thanks for all the nice reviews, glad everyone's enjoying reading this as much as I am writing :). Reviews are love, love me and I'll update faster :). **

**This chapter is for my friend, luvlexi714 to say get well soon, you're awesome. Also if you're enjoying this story, why not take a look at the fic I'm currently co-authoring with my BFF Callie911. It's a very similar format/style but a completely different story. For anyone who's interested it's in my favourite stories.**

**Thanks for the support! Oh and in case you wondered I still don't own greys, except when I'm asleep.**

Back in the hospital the next morning all the peace and quiet of the previous day was long forgotten.

"Who the hell bumped my surgery?" Callie almost yelled, doing a double take as she passed the board. She stopped abruptly, almost spilling her coffee, and stepped back to read the offending name.

"I did" a sweet voice came from behind her; she spun around to see Arizona standing there with an angelic grin on her face.

"It was you?!" Callie demanded before quickly lowering her voice. The coach crash that had kept her stuck in surgery since the early hours of the morning wasn't Arizona's fault. "My own girlfriend is bumping my surgeries now?!" she asked, her tone lighter.

Sensing it had obviously been a rough night for Callie, Arizona gave her girlfriend a winning smile, "Not exactly."

Trying to fight the effect the Arizona's dimples seemed to have on her, and failing, Callie slipped one hand into hers and they instantly laced their fingers together. "Not exactly?" she repeated as Arizona took the coffee cup from her other hand and pressed it to her lips.

"Hey! No coffee for you!" Callie scolded quickly taking the cup back, "You don't need coffee...the world can't deal with you and coffee."

Arizona flashed her puppy dog eyes before she continued trying not to bounce on the spot, maybe Calliope was right, she didn't need coffee. "Okay so I'm a horrible girlfriend, I bumped your laminectomy" she confessed. Callie narrowed her eyes and looked like she was about to speak so Arizona quickly continued, "But, I bumped _your_ surgery, for _our_ surgery" she finished with a smile, as she added Calliope's name next to her own on the board.

"Tell me more" Callie sighed as they set off together towards the peds unit.

~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~

"Mer, you seen Torres?" Alex Karev demanded leaning into the doorway of the room in which Meredith Grey- Shepherd was hunched over a pile of books.

"Nope" she replied, "She's probably off getting her freak on with Little Miss Sunshine."

Alex snorted and turned to leave before he was stopped.

"Wait!" Meredith yelled, suddenly looking up from her reading, "Why do you want to know where Torres is? You and her aren't... again are you?!"

"No way dude" Karev said, making a face, "Although I wouldn't mind" he added thoughtfully, "But no, I think she's a fully fledged member of the sisterhood nowadays. Besides I rather not incur the wrath of crazy blonde heeley chick anymore than I have already" he added as he left Meredith to her studies, and continued his search for the orthopaedic surgeon

~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~

Callie followed Arizona into her patient's room, as she prepared for her consult on her girlfriend's case, and their joint surgery. As she stepped inside Callie was greeted by a young girl lying on the bed, and her rather anxious looking father.

"Okay, Brooke, this is Doctor Torres, she's going to be helping me fix your poorly leg" Arizona told the little girl, "If that's okay with you that is?" she added smiling.

The girl simply nodded, her lips staying sealed as she glanced at her father for reassurance.

Callie immediately noticed how withdrawn the child seemed and moved to stand at her bedside and crouch down to meet her eyes. "So I'm Doctor Torres, but you can call me Callie" she said offering the girl a smile, and receiving nothing but a terrified glance in return. "So your name's Brooke" she continued as she eyed the girls left leg that was laid an awkward angle on the bed, "Brooke's a pretty cool name huh?" she asked, again getting no response.

Arizona had also noticed the lack of responsiveness from the girl, but had thought she was perhaps shy, however seeing the way she interacted, or rather failed to interact with Callie, made her wonder if something more was in play here.

"Okay Brooke, do you mind if I take a look at your sore leg? Doctor Arizona has told me just how brave you are and I promise I'll do my best to be gentle" Callie said.

The little girl looked again to her father, who gave a nervous nod from the corner of the room.

"Ohhkay then" Callie said, breaking the silence and beginning to examine the broken leg. While she gently checked for any obvious bone fragments she couldn't help but notice how much the little girl looked like, what she hoped her and Arizona's kids might. Just like Arizona she had blonde hair and beautiful blue eyes. Although Callie knew Arizona's fear of losing her children, as she so often saw families do in her work, was keeping them from having children right now, she still hoped one day Arizona would trust her enough to start a family together.

Satisfied the break could be easily fixed with surgery Callie stepped back, giving Brooke another smile before nodding to Arizona. "No problems there, I'm sure we can have that leg all better, and you back up and about in no time" Callie informed them all, "So tell me, how did you do this?" she asked motioning to the leg.

"She fell down the stairs" the man from the corner spoke up, his expression devoid of emotion, his eyes unwavering as he stared back at Callie. The little girl just nodded; there was definitely something that felt wrong about this case to both the doctors.

"Okie dokie then" Arizona beamed, ignoring the tension in the room and moving towards the bed. "I just need to run a few tests and make sure you're strong and healthy enough to have the magic fairy dust to send you to dreamland while we fix your poorly leg, that okay with you Brooke?"

The little girl smiled slightly as Arizona brushed some hair out of her eyes, and nodded, before she seemed to remember herself and looked to her dad for approval.

The man simply nodded again as Arizona began her examination, noticing the girl flinch when she checked for tenderness her abdomen. Concerned she lifted the hem of the girl's shirt and was horrified at what she saw. As she lifted the garment further an assortment of bruises came into view, some fresh angry purple, and others obviously old as they were yellow and faded. Both women turned to look at the silent man in the corner.

"Happened when she fell" he said simply, and went back to gazing out of the window.

An hour later Arizona sighed as she looked at the poor child's x-rays. Multiple broken ribs, several healed fractures, she was obviously the victim of abuse, and it was Arizona's guess that her Father, who showed so little interest as they'd tended to her broken leg earlier, was to blame.

Her heart breaking for the little girl she picked up the phone and dialled social services and the police, before paging Calliope.

When the police came to take away the man for questioning, although as doctors they were advised against it, Arizona went into the room to stay with the scared little girl. Although there was a care worker present, Arizona knew how afraid she must be, and she wanted to make sure she was going to be okay. As she stood by the girl's bedside whilst the officers walked her Father out of the hospital, Arizona couldn't help but shudder at the look he gave her, his eyes full of pure hatred and anger. She quickly looked away and gave Brooke a comforting smile, masking her own discomfort.

After the man had been removed, Arizona consulted briefly with the care worker, and decided that Brooke shouldn't be questioned until after her surgery and until she was in better shape mentally, then leaving the little girl holding one of her special SGMW peds ward mascot bears, went to find Calliope.

~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~

"Hey" Callie greeted Alex Karev, as he stuck his head around the door of the attending's lounge where she was buried under a stack of paperwork.

"Hey" he replied, "Heard you had a laminectomy later today" he began, getting ready to make his move and get in on the surgery.

"I did" Callie replied as she continued to write, "Until my girlfriend bumped it" she added, with mock annoyance.

"Oh" Karev replied, his tone crestfallen, annoyed as he'd just ran halfway round the hospital and back to find Torres and ask her if he could scrub in, and the surgery wasn't even going ahead.

"You wanted to scrub in huh?" Callie asked, smiling to herself at how pissed he sounded.

"Well, uhh, yeah, laminectomy's pretty kick ass" Karev admitted.

"You want in on my trans-tibial break and multiple fracture resets this afternoon?" Callie offered.

"Hell yeah!" Karev replied, "Not seen the inside of an OR in four days, you're damn right I want in."

"Okay then" Callie smirked as she watch him turned around to leave, "Oh and Karev, you'll be assisting with myself and Doctor Robbins" she added, "It's a peds case".

"Oh come on...dude, she hates me, she wants to brick me...crazy chick" Karev stopped and exclaimed.

"Okay then" Callie replied, enjoying teasing him, "Find Doctor Avery and tell him he's scrubbing in with me in an hour."

"Okay, wait, come on Torres. I need this surgery" Karev gave her a pleading look, "Fine" he announced "I'm in... but I swear you better keep her away from me when she's wielding a ten blade... it'd be like a bad freaking horror, perky peds goes psycho killer."

"Karev" Callie warned, stifling a laugh into her paper work, "See you in an hour".

As soon as the other doctor left Callie allowed herself to give in to a chuckle. How strange it was that Alex Karev was scared of Arizona, her sweet, cute, caring, adorable Arizona. Although, that said, when Arizona was mad she was like a little tornado, and Callie definitely would not like to be standing in her way.

Callie sighed and returned to her paper work, only to be interrupted again just a few minutes later as Arizona plonked down next to her on the couch, a chart in her hands.

"Hey Baby" Callie said looking up into Arizona's pale face, "Everything okay? I got your page, how'd it go with social services, did the bastard get his ass kicked?"

"No, he left quietly, almost too quietly" Arizona said, thinking back to the look on the man's face as he was lead away, before quickly shaking the image from her mind.

"You okay?" Callie questioned, throwing her pen down to pull Arizona onto her lap, and wrapping her arms around her waist, "Case getting to you?" she enquired concerned.

"I don't know" Arizona admitted resting her head on Callie's shoulder.

Callie watched her as she played with the ring she had given her, her grandmother's ring, for their six month anniversary. It now hung on the chain around her neck, along with the simple silver heart pendant they had exchanged on Valentine's day, as rings couldn't be worn in work.

"It's gonna be okay" Callie comforted her girlfriend, "We'll rock that OR, and have Brooke back on her feet in no time" she said kissing her hair.

"I know" Arizona replied, enjoying the temporary reprieve of being held in Callie's strong arms. Abuse cases were never easy to deal with, no matter how many you saw. "I love you Calliope" she said softly, snuggling her head into Callie's shoulder and giving her a gentle kiss on the neck.

"I love you too Arizona" Callie replied, rocking her slightly.

They stayed close together, just holding each other, neither spoke, and they simply enjoyed the comfort they both found in each other's arms.

When the time came to scrub in Callie gently jostled Arizona, whose eyes were closed as she daydreamed of chasing Callie down the beach in just two months time, when they finally got to use the plane tickets she'd bought for their anniversary..._ it cannot come soon enough _Arizona thought as they stood up and headed for the OR, to face the trials and turmoil this surgery was set to offer them.


	5. Between you and me

**AN: Thank you to everyone who took the time to review the last chapter. Sorry I've not been replying, this week has been kinda hectic, but every time I get a review alert through to my blackberry I do a little happy dance no matter where I am. Oh, and I have to say that my Calzona readers are way better than my Tiva readers on the review front... which often results in this fic getting quicker updates...you guys are awesome :)..**

**As requested, more Alex... I've not started med school yet, so give me a break if some of the procedures featured aren't strictly correct... I like to call it Artistic license ;).**

**If anybody from Greys reads this and decides to sue me... please don't... enlist me instead?**

Arizona stared through the glass into the OR she was about to enter, _her_ OR. On the table covered in surgical drapes lay the tiny form of Brooke Signo, the child she and Calliope would be working on. As she scrubbed in the images from earlier that day cascaded through her mind, the horrific bruising on the little girl, the fourteen healed fractures, some over four years old, and finally, the worst of them all, the look on her wretched father's face as he was hauled away by the police.

That look had been directed solely at her, and she knew it. Shuddering she snapped back to reality, and realising she had been scrubbing her nails for far longer than necessary, she backed into the door and let herself into the OR, keeping her arms extended in front of her as one of the scrub nurses helped her into a gown.

As the final preparations for surgery were made, Arizona tried to focus her mind. Cases like this were never easy, but she was finding this one particularly tough, and she suspected it had something to do with the evil man who was responsible for the all damage she was about to try and repair. Pushing that threatening, hateful look he had given her out of her mind, Arizona stepped up to the table.

"Okay, multiple fracture resets, and correcting a trans-tibial break" she informed her scrub staff. "The attendings today will be Doctor Torres and myself. I'll be opening and retracting before repairing multiple reset fractures to the ribs, Doctor Torres will join us shortly to work on the broken Tibia."

As was customary for her, Arizona looked up and gave her OR staff a brilliant smile from behind her mask, and seeing everyone was in their places she began. "Ten blade" she requested, holding out a hand to take the instrument, before making her first incision.

Half an hour later Callie Torres scrubbed in and entered the OR with Karev on her tail. Looking up from her work Arizona was immediately taken a back when she saw Alex Karev, entering _her_ OR, with _her_ Calliope. "Something you need Doctor Karev?" Arizona questioned, trying to keep her tone calm.

"I...umm" Alex mumbled from behind the mask, before Callie saved him.

"Doctor Karev is assisting with me today Doctor Robbins" she explained simply, avoiding Arizona's eyes as she set to work on the injured leg.

Arizona was speechless. How dare Calliope invite Karev, _Karev_ of people to scrub in oh her surgery without asking, let alone telling her? Furiously Arizona continued to work in silence.

The whole OR was quiet besides the occasional instruction from either attending. As she began to re-break the fractures Arizona had had about as much as she could take.

"So Doctor Torres" she began as she broke the first rib. "When were you ..._snap_....planning on telling me...._snap_....that Doctor... _Snap_... Karev...._Snap_ .... Would be scrubbing in?" she finished as she made the last break.

Karev glanced towards the peds surgeon, who even with a mask covering most of her face was doing a damn good job of looking pissed off. He looked from her angry eyes, to the bone cutters she was holding, before he leant over to hiss in Callie's ear.

"This is what I was talking about...the chick has bone cutters!!" he exclaimed giving her a sideways look as he pretended to cauterise a bleeder to avoid looking at Arizona.

Ignoring him Callie answered her girlfriend's question, "I needed a resident to assist" she stated, pausing to look across the table at Arizona who was working furiously on realigning the ribs, it was obvious she was annoyed. _She has to get over the Karev thing at some point_, Callie thought to herself.

"I see" Arizona replied seething, _doesn't she get that I do not want that guy in my face, and not now of all times when I'm dealing with an abuse case._ "Doctor Avery is on my service this week" Arizona continued, her voice cold as ice, "And as this is primarily a peds case, I'd appreciate being given a heads up on what's happening in _my _OR" she finished abruptly.

Callie was stunned, Arizona had never spoken to her like that before, and she'd never heard her sound so cold or angry.

Karev leaned over again to mumble quietly to her "Told you this was a bad idea... Chick's crazy. It's not even like I did anything" he paused to check the blonde doctor wasn't listening before he continued warily. "Look, I get that she's pissed but at some point I'm gonna need to be in an OR with her, and you're not gonna be around to stop her going all evil-peds on my ass."

"I'll handle it" Callie assured him, going back to concentrating on her work. She knew Karev was right, Arizona was going to have to have some kind of a working relationship with him at some point; however something else was worrying her. Arizona was never mean or unnecessarily harsh with anyone, not even when it was over Callie, but just now with Karev she was the closest Callie had ever seen her come to overstepping the mark of being professional.

Looking up Callie saw Arizona with an intent look on her face as she reset the breaks. Something was definitely bothering her, a lot, but whatever it was would just have to wait until after this surgery.

~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~

Although the surgery had run relatively smoothly and there had been no complications, Arizona didn't feel the relief she should as she slumped down onto the bed in a dark on call room. She felt suddenly tired, drained and uneasy, and she had no idea why. As she lay in the dark she tried to find the motivation to move, all that was left for her to do was get changed and go home with Calliope, for a relaxing shower and a decent meal, yet she just didn't have the energy.

She thought again about the poor little girl they'd operated on today. The fractures she'd seen had been severe, and must have been agonisingly painful for months after they were administered while they reset. Her thoughts were interrupted as the door knob turned and a familiar face came into view.

"I wondered where you'd got to" Callie told her as she came in, closing the door behind her, before sitting on the bed next to where Arizona lay on her back.

"What's going on Ari?" she asked softly, as she slid her hand under Arizona's scrub top to rub comforting circles across her flat stomach. "Today in the OR, something was up... you were kinda harsh with Karev, and sure the guy can be an ass, but he's not a bad surgeon."

Arizona let out a long sigh; she knew Calliope was right; it wasn't Alex Karev that had her in a terrible mood, although she still didn't particularly like him for sleeping with her girlfriend. "You're right" she admitted, reaching out to stroke Callie's arm as she continued to sooth her. "It's just this case" Arizona paused, her brilliant blue eyes brimming with anxiety, "Something feels off, and it's so horrific Calliope. I know I'm a peds surgeon and I see this on a regular basis, but it just never gets any easier."

Callie manoeuvred herself around so that she was laying on the bed next to Arizona, who instantly cuddled into her chest. "That's because you're a good person Ari, and good people never like to see bad things...but today you helped to fix those bad things, and you made the right call contacting the police, because now Brooke can get away from them."

Knowing she was right Arizona nodded, closing her eyes as she felt Callie's lips brush her hair.

"Let's go home" Callie whispered down to her, wrapping her into her arms for a tight hug.

"Let's go home" Arizona repeated, a small smile playing on her lips. Calliope could always make her feel better, even when she was in the worst of moods. "I'll meet you in the lobby in fifteen minutes" Arizona said, looking up into Callie's big brown eyes, "There's something I need to do first."

Knowing exactly what that something was, Callie smiled back at her and gave her a gentle kiss, before pulling them both upright so they could head for the door.

~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~

When Arizona found Alex Karev he was half naked, wearing just a towel in the men's shower room. She had heard his singing from outside the door, and after a hasty check if anyone else was in there, she'd covered her eyes and ventured in... _after all it's not like I'm interested in anything I might see in here is it? _She told herself as she found Karev sifting through his bag.

"Doctor Karev" she greeted him.

"Holy crap...." he jumped up startled, "Uh... this is the men's room!" he informed her, suddenly embarrassed by his nakedness and wondering what the hell evil-peds was doing there.

"I am quite aware of that Doct... Alex" Arizona finished, forcing a smile. Watching as he stared at her like she had two heads, she decided just to say what she had to say, and then she could go home with Calliope.

"I came to apologise" she began begrudgingly, "How I behaved in the OR today" she hung her head, now slightly ashamed at her actions, "It was mean, and I'm sorry" she finished.

As he stood there, half naked, in the men's shower room, with Arizona Robbins of all people apologising to him, Alex Karev could not actually believe what he was seeing. "Oh, forget it" he told the attending, offering her a smile.

At this Arizona perked up, "Oh great" she said, with one of her hundred watt grins, "Well thanks Alex" with that she turned to push off on her heeleys to leave, but stopped just inside the doorway.

"Oh, but Karev..." she said looking back at him, "This doesn't mean I'm okay with the fact that you slept with my girlfriend" she said, an angelic smile on her face, making her seem all the more scary to the now very uncomfortable resident. "Do it again, and I _will actually_ hit you with a brick" she finished her tone sickly sweet.

_Freakin' Jekyll and Hyde_ Karev thought to himself, as he pulled his expression into one of respect and replied "Yes mamn."

"Great" Arizona replied, calling one more thing back as she left the shower room, "Oh and Karev... don't call me mamn".

"Okay umm...Doctor Robbins" Alex mumbled, wondering what the hell had just happened and how he was still alive after spending a whole three minutes in a room alone with the crazy blonde.


	6. Alone

**AN: Surprise! Med School has pretty much taken over my life, however with all the Calzona drama of late I kinda got dragged back into this story. I'm on a break over Easter right now, so hopefully I can get a chunk done! So sorry for the hiatus :)**

**So there is going to be a little tiny bit of angst in the next few chapters, I'm all for the fluff and the rainbows and the smiles, but ultimately this is a story, and therefore it has to have a plot. Stick with me and you won't be disappointed :).**

**I don't own anyone from SGMW, or anything Greys...although I have made plans to try to buy some Calzona rights, once I win the lottery, and write a Calzona spin off with my BFF Callie911 :).**

As she pushed open the door to her apartment Arizona squealed as her girlfriend slipped a hand behind her knees and swept her off her feet, as she kicked the door closed behind them. Laughing Callie carried Arizona over to her sofa, spinning around a few times before sitting herself, and Arizona down on the comfy cushions.

"So you apologised to Karev huh?" Callie asked, half teasing, "Musta been tough, after the little brick fiasco and all."

"Oh I didn't apologise for that part" Arizona perked up, making a serious face, "I told him that if he did it again, I really would hit him with a brick."

With this new information Callie's eyes grew wide, "And what did he say?" she giggled.

"Yes mamn." Arizona mimicked Karev's tone, as they both burst into fits of laughter.

"Oh he is never, _ever_ going to live that down..." Callie snorted, "Wait till I tell Cristina!"

"Hey...no" Arizona started, "No telling... I never thought I'd say this but he does seem a... decent guy... despite the fact that...you know what." She avoided Callie's gaze slightly; she wasn't even able to say it, the thought of Calliope, _her_ Calliope, with anybody else was just something she couldn't even start to think about.

"You're doing it again..." Callie broke into her thoughts.

"Doing what?" Arizona asked confused, as she leant back in the armrest of the sofa and looked up at her girlfriend's dazzling smile.

"The adorable jealous face" Callie informed her with an even bigger grin.

"I am not jealous!" Arizona lied.

"Uhh... are too!" Callie insisted, laughing some more at Arizona's attempts at looking offended.

"Am not!" Arizona retaliated as she pulled herself into a sitting position, and quickly had one leg on either side of Callie's.

"Are t..." Callie began before she stopped as she saw the look on Arizona's face as she stared down at her, her blue eyes alight as she leaned in to whisper in her ear.

"Calliope... I am not jealous... I have no need to be jealous."

"Trust me I know" Callie agreed as Arizona's lips brushed her ear, sending shivers down her spine.

"I am not jealous Calliope..." she repeated, her tone slightly husky, "Because Alex Karev does not get to do this..." her lips attached quickly to Callie's pulse point, causing her breath to get caught in her throat as heat seared up in her veins.

"Or this..." Arizona continued, her lips meeting Callie's for a kiss full of passion, full of love.

"Or this..." Callie piped up when they broke for air, as she picked up Arizona, her legs still wrapped around her waist and carried her through to the bedroom, where they spent the night revelling in all the things they could do together that Doctor Karev would _never_ be a part of.

~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~

Groaning Callie reached out and thumped the alarm clock on her nightstand, without even having to open her eyes. Wanting to savour the next five minutes of snooze time, she rolled over to wrap her arms around Arizona, wanting to feel her soft skin and kiss her perfect lips to get her day off to the best imaginable start.

When her fingers were not met by warm soft skin, but cold cotton sheets, she quickly opened one eye, then both, when she realised Arizona was not in bed. "Urgh...Ari?" she tried to yell, still groggy from sleep.

Getting no reply she sat up, pushing her wild bed hair away from her face, as she peered into the half ajar door of the bathroom...no Arizona.

"Ari...?" she yelled again, giving up and assuming Arizona had gone for a run, as she did some mornings when she woke early, Callie tumbled out of bed and practically sleepwalked into the shower, letting the hot water seep into her aching overworked bones, and wake her up.

When she stumbled back out almost twenty minutes later, only feeling slightly more refreshed, Callie was slightly perplexed to find the bedroom empty, with still no signs of Arizona.

Guessing she'd gone for a long run, she quickly dried her hair, dressed, and tried her cell one last time before heading off to work.

~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~

Plonking her tray down onto a table, Callie sat behind it, and began to push her very late lunch around its plate, as she scoured the cafeteria for her girlfriend. Dissatisfied with her inability to locate her, she pulled out her cell and tried to call her, again, nothing.

Cursing, she let the phone clatter to the table, and continued to maul her lunch, her eyes never leaving the entrance, hoping to see the familiar blonde curls, hear the click of her heeleys as she pushed off to close the unknown amount of space that stood between them...

"Mark" she exclaimed surprised as the plastic surgeon lowered himself into the seat across from her, slamming his tray to the table, a making a few interns sat close to them jump and look around fearfully.

"Guess what?" he asked, his eyes all bright and mysterious. Just from his look Callie knew he was going to tell her whether she guessed or not.

"What?" she replied, less than enthused.

"Two words" he whispered as an impish grin took over his devilishly handsome features, "Body paint."

Callie rolled her eyes, she should have guessed it would be something along those lines; this was after all Mark Sloan she was talking to, her best friend and reformed-ish womaniser Mark Sloan.

"Isn't that one word...Body-paint?" she asked, trying to escape being given all the gory details of whatever Mark and his paint had been doing that had him bouncing like a kid after too much candy in the seat across from her.

Seeing his chance he launched into the account he had been dying to share with his best friend, pretty much since the moment it happened. "So last night, Teddy came over, and I'd been to the store and seen the stuff, so I decided why the hell not..." he explained, oblivious to Doctor Bailey approaching behind him, looking like today was one where she was living up to her nickname of 'the Nazi'...

"I'm a Sloan, and we Sloan's are impulsive, so, in the spirit of being impulsive I bought the damn body paint. Milk chocolate" he added with a wink.

Callie rolled her eyes and gave him the eyeball trying desperately to communicate that Bailey was now standing behind him, lips pouted, hands on hips, to no avail.

"I know right..." he continued mistaking her expression for her being impressed. "Sloan method 1, Torres method 0...if you could have heard some of the stuff Teddy was..."

"Doctor Sloan" Bailey interrupted, her eyes wide, looking like she was about to implode with anger. "If Doctor Torres does want to hear exactly what Doctor Altman was saying last night..." she stopped to eye Callie, "And if you do, shame on you" she chided before getting back to Mark, "Fine, but I for one do not want to stand and listen to your ... your personal business."

"Then by all means sit Miranda, or leave" Mark joked, flashing her a charming smile to show he meant no harm.

"I will gladly leave, Doctor Sloan...once I've asked Doctor Torres where the hell her... her... Doctor Robbins is?" Bailey finished, her brown eyes flashing to Callie as she finally found the words.

"In peds?" Callie questioned, her stomach churning uneasily, because Bailey being Bailey, would have combed every floor of the hospital looking for Arizona, before she had come to Callie, and been forced to acknowledge their personal relationship, in order to find her.

"No Doctor Torres" Bailey informed her, raging like an unexploded time bomb, "She is not in peds, or in the pit, or your little on call rendezvous room, or here in the cafeteria. Not only is she not in this hospital, she has failed to respond, to not just one, but two 911 pages."

Callie's stomach hit the floor as Bailey finished "So I suggest you find her, and fast...preferably before we have yet another emergency and no peds attending on hand to deal with it!" With that she stormed away, leaving Callie staring now terrified into mark's eyes.

"Something's wrong... I just know it."

~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~

The tight restrains cut mercilessly into the skin of her wrists, as she came around from the blow to the side of the head. Barely managing to open her eyes Arizona thought back through the events of the day, and how she could have ended up here...in what looked like a child's bedroom.

She'd woken up early, which wasn't too unusual, given her and Calliope's session the night before, which had worn them out, and seen to it that they were sleeping soundly, wrapped in each other's arms by 11pm. The thought of Callie, stabbed at her somewhere deep inside as she remembered the last time she had seen the woman she loved.

The sun was just barely breaking the horizon; tiny rays were fighting their way in, penetrating through the dull gray. Calliope slept soundlessly beside her, her long dark hair flowing around her face, her expression peaceful and at complete ease.

Tears pricked in Arizona's eyes at the memory, she loved the sight of sleeping Calliope, because when she was asleep, the woman she knew to be so strong, so courageous, and so fiercely loyal, just looked so innocent and carefree.

She remembered untangling herself from Calliope's embrace, rolling off the mattress ever so gently, so as not to wake her, and creeping around the room, pulling on her sweatpants and a tshirt, before heading out for a run.

The morning was cool, with a gentle breeze ruffling Arizona's hair as she set off at a steady jog. The birds were just beginning to wake up and start their morning harmonies, and aside from them the rest of the city seemed so still and so quiet; not a car passed by as she made her way to the end of her block.

Feeling her mind flinch away from what happened next, an automatic reflex, developed from years of overuse of compartmentalisation, Arizona had to focus, and will herself to relive that last painful memory.

She rounded the corner to the next block, she remembered noticing a van across the street, the engine ticked over, breaking the morning's silence, it's half beams shone, although there appeared to be no one inside. Before she had time to think anymore, something heavy connected with the side of her head. Pain sprang up from around the area where the blunt object had hit, before she saw the pavement coming up to smack her in the face, its colour draining until everything faded into darkness.

Snapping her eyes open, feeling suddenly terrified, and completely alone, Arizona longed for Calliope, just to hear her voice, see her smile, to feel safe in her strong embrace. Knowing her wishes wouldn't be granted she tried to move a hand to her neck, to feel the ring that hung there, and her little heart pendant.

When the binds tore further into her skin, she fought a whimper, instead focusing on her neck, feeling the length of the cool silver chain as it tumbled over the shoulder she lay on. Concentrating still, she could follow the tiny trail, down to where the weight of the ring pulled it into a V, where its shape pressed into her cold skin.

Drawing comfort slightly, just from its presence, just from the tiny reminder, her only token of Calliope's love, she forced herself to take in her surroundings, really take them in.

Worn pink covers adorned the toddler sized bed, faded from years of use. Although the room was clearly a child's it was hard to decipher much about them from its empty state. The shades were shut, leaking only a small amount of light onto the doorless wardrobe that contained barely any clothes, a few tshirts, some jeans and a dress.

Arizona's heart broke at the state in which the poor child this room belonged to lived. Just for a second she let herself imagine the clothes she'd buy if she and Calliope ever had a little girl, _multitudes of dresses in every colour of the rainbow, skirts, shorts, jeans, cargos, and of course Calliope would have her wearing a leather jacket_, Arizona quickly caught herself as she flinched again mentally at the last thought. Calliope wasn't here, and although she had always said she didn't want a child, it scared her, staring at the tiny wardrobe, as she realised now she may never even get the chance.

As tears began to escape from her crystal blue eyes she gazed around the room, looking for any clue or hint as to where she was, why she was in a child's bedroom with her hands bound and her head throbbing.

As her eyes found one small drawing, on a crumpled piece of paper, propped on the nightstand, her heart froze momentarily inside her chest, too confused and overwhelmed, too terrified to beat.

The drawing was of a simple stick house, nothing more, and completely in black crayon, although that wasn't what bothered Arizona. She had to steady the sobs threatening to burst out of her throat, and potentially alert her captor to the fact she was awake, as she read the name signed in characteristically childish crooked handwriting... 'Brooke'.


	7. Be Cool

**AN: Chapter full of angst I'm afraid. Stick with it to get to the good stuff though. I am officially back from my hiatus (semester 1 of Med School), though I have my finals in May so as well as hopefully finishing All That Matters, and starting the next series, which will deal with the holiday etc etc, I have to revise. This chapter is super long to make up for the break. **

**Be patient with me. Reviews are love, and go faster juice.**

**Warning: This chapter is RATED M. There are a quite few curse words, some derogatory terms and some dark threads. Be warned. It gets better...promise :).**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, don't sue me?**

Callie snapped her phone closed for the third time in the last half an hour. Mark sat across from her in the doctors' lounge; his eyes downcast towards a plastics journal balanced in his lap, hiding what Callie knew would be his concerned expression.

"Arizona is an adult and so they won't file a missing person report, or help me even begin to figure out where to look for her, or even admit anything's wrong here" Callie ranted, before pausing to suck in some air, "Until she's been gone for 48 hours."

Hearing his best friends voice threaten to crack as she grappled to keep her emotions in check, Mark tried to think logically and help, as though he hated to admit it, even he was beginning to wonder where the hell Blondie had gotten to.

"Okay" he cleared his throat. "Let's work this through, make a plan and try and fix this."

Callie plucked at her scrub pants, her big brown eyes shiny and wet and her lips pursed. Knowing that there was nothing that was going to cheer her up until she was certain Arizona was okay, he pressed on, "You got any surgeries today?"

Callie hesitated as she tried to remember the answer to his question. What the hell did she plan for today, before all this, when today was just another day, and not the day that Arizona, her whole world, seemingly disappeared off the face of the earth? "Elective hip replacement" she finally replied.

Mark stood up from his recliner. "Okay. We need to go talk to the chief, and find someone to cover or reschedule, then we can start getting things figured out."

Letting out a heavy sigh Callie nodded, rose from her perch on the edge of the sofa and began to head out the door.

"Torres" Mark said, catching her by the arm, "Cal..." he continued, "It's gonna be okay. We'll find her."

Callie stared back at him, her dark eyes full of fear, "I know" she replied, "We have to."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Forty minutes later they jumped out of Mark's silver audi, and Callie almost ran into her apartment building and over to the elevator, hitting the call button impatiently, whilst Mark checked around the corner.

"Her cars still in the lot" he informed Callie as the metallic doors dinged open and they both stepped inside.

"It was there when I left this morning too" she answered.

An elevator ride she knew was little more than 5 seconds seemed like an eternity to Callie. As they ascended, she stared blankly into one of the mirrored walls. The woman looking back at her had the same brown eyes, the same bronze glow to her skin and the same dark flowing tresses of hair, but as she stared back at her own reflection she realised that she had never before seen the angst in her face that was written there now, scrawled across her eyes, and etched into the tiny creases in her brow, where she held the hours of tension of having no idea where Arizona, her beautiful, sweet, caring Arizona could be.

The doors dinged again, tearing Callie's eyes away from her reflection and back to reality, she covered the several strides to her apartment rapidly, with Mark hot on her heels. Pulling her keys from the pocket of her well worn leather jacket she selected the right one just by touch, and reached to slide it into the lock. As her hand quivered and the key tapped against the metal surrounding its' slot, Callie surprised even herself – was it all really affecting her that much?

"Here let me" Mark offered, moving to take the keys from her trembling fingers.

"I got it" Callie retorted, a little too sharply. Using all the frustration burning in her chest she willed her hand to be steady. _If I can't help or find Ari the least I can do is get it together enough to open this stupid door._ As the metal piece slid into its' place she exhaled sharply and pushed open the door.

Twenty minutes later Callie slumped on her bed, Mark continued to pace the room, looking again over every surface, not because he expected to find Arizona, he just needed to do something, anything, keep trying to figure this out, anything other than stand idly and watch his best friend completely crumble and deflate.

Callie let her upper body plop down onto the bed, her face landing in Arizona's pillow, as she breathed in the scent of her strawberry and cream shampoo she felt the tears well in her eyes again. _Ari, where are you?_

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The pager lay broken against the wall, its' plastic shell cracked, its' screen blank and non-functional. The man stared at it from across the room. He sat in a threadbare recliner, the TV blared in the background, and between his fingers he twirled a sleek black cell phone. His gaze never shifted from the lifeless pager as he relaxed in the grey light filtering through the drawn shades, planning his next move.

_Fucking thing. Bleeping like crazy all morning, guess the dumb bitch had somewhere to be, maybe some other kid she had to meddle with, and take away. What the fuck does she know?_

With that thought he slammed the cell into the recliner's arm, hard. _And this..._ he thought, looking down at the blackberry clenched tightly in his palm, _this piece of shit could have fed us for a week, hell a month._

Letting his grip slacken around the device he pushed his head back into the lumpy headrest and began to devise his plan.

_Fucking dyke thinks she can judge me and take my kid?_ He replayed the messages he had read in Arizona's inbox as he learned all he could about her life from the contents of her cell. _Fucking lesbo may think I'm dumb, but I was listening... Calliope Torres, the other lesbo who was gonna fix the kids bones, that's her alright. Two fucking dykes took my kid..._ With that thought his eyes opening slowly as he realised exactly what he was going to do to get Brooke back.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Everything hurt. Arizona had managed to shimmy along the floor, over to the wall, and finally push herself up to lean against it in a standing position. She had cried out all her tears, and even though she was wracked with fear, guilt, and anger, self preservation had begun to kick in. She scanned outside the dirty window, looking for anything she recognised, a landmark, a sign... anything to help her place herself.

Nothing was familiar. This definitely wasn't a neighbourhood Arizona would frequent of her own accord. The cars parked out front bordered both sides of the road, nose-to-tail, all of them older models, some with flat tires, others with broken windscreens; she even noticed one that was burned out, parked at a slight diagonal to it's perfectly linear relatives. Slightly shaken she pressed on. The room had no view; most of the light was also blocked by a huge off-white building across the street.

Arizona's breath caught in her throat, her hands were numb and her ankles beginning to shake from being bound so tightly. Just as she was about to give up and let herself slump back down to the floor, she saw it. 'Ishiac motel' a dirty and defaced metal sign read, propped against the doorframe of the adjacent building. It was probably nothing, yet at least it was something.

It took all her effort not to cry as she lowered her screaming body carefully back down to the floor. She was disabled, bound and tied, the only weapon she had now was her mind. She had to find a way to get herself out of this. She needed to see her peds kids again, hear her parents voices on the phone, hell, go and visit them; there was so much she was yet to do, so many things she could have done. Most of all, more than all of that, she had to find a way back to Calliope, and to do that she was going to have to get smart.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Bailey looked from Callie's tear stained face to Mark's vacant expression, as he concluded telling the attendings, residents and the chief about Dr Robbins' mysterious disappearance. They were all huddled worriedly around the large table in the board room at SGMW, the hands on the clock read 10.45pm.

"You are sure" Bailey paused for effect looking Sloan dead in the eye "Suu-uure, as in we are not gonna all get in a panic over this then find that she went to the grocery store sure?"

"Miranda..." Callie spoke up, a thin sheen of tears covering her eyes "Arizona would never do this, I'm her partner, but you..." she gestured around the room, her voice almost pleading "All of you are her colleagues, and so, you should all know, just as well as I do, that she would never not respond to 911 pages unless..." She couldn't finish.

"Dr Torres is right" Chief Weber spoke up, "Dr Robbins is one of our own, and we protect our own, and we protect our hospital" He cast a meaningful glance around the table. "So, although we are all concerned about this situation, we have a nightshift to run, and I expect that we all go out there and do our jobs. If anyone has any information, that might help Torres and Sloan by all means, please, contact them, but as always people, patients come first."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Arizona woke the next day from an exhausted sleep. Reaching out her arms to stretch caused her breath to leave her in a short sharp burst, and feeling the worn carpet beneath her cheek, instead of her soft pillows and Calliope's warm body, the events of the previous day came flooding back to her.

Shifting soundlessly to attempt to relieve some of the pressure on her spine and wrists, she winced but remained quiet. There was no time for tears now; closing her eyes she let herself slip into surgeon mode.

Today Arizona Robbins had a life to save, a precious life, and give it back to those who loved it so very much, and God she was going to, because today, for the first time in her career, that life was her own.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

It was close to noon before Callie and Mark were roused from their deep, uneasy sleep. They had stayed up late into the morning, talking to their colleagues and friends, and wracking their brains, for anything, any idea where Arizona could be. They had nothing.

Now Callie's cell phone shrilling against the quiet of the sleep laden room brought them both crashing back into the nightmare that was currently their reality with a thud. Mark sat up and smoothed his hair, while Callie reached across to the night stand for her cell.

"Hello?" she enquired not recognising the number, and grimacing as the wall clock informed her she'd slept through half the day.

"Dr Torres" a male voice stated, "That's me..." Callie replied her voice still groggy from sleep, she felt slightly perplexed, who the hell was this guy?

"I have something you want" the voice continued to state simply, "You have something that I want".

Callie's heart dropped into her stomach. Noticing her facial expression Mark mouthed 'What?'Not daring to respond she hit the speaker button.

"Dr Torres, we met a few days ago. You have my daughter" Mark looked shell shocked.

"You have Arizona?" her response was barely more than a whisper, but as her brain processed what she was being told desperation, fear, love, anger, quickly took over. "I want to speak to her, I need to know she's okay, you son of a bitch...What the hell have you..."

"Dr Torres." The voice cut her off, icy cold, with just a hint of a sneer. "This is simple. You get me my daughter back, and you get your...whore, back"

Mark's face turned an angry scarlet as Callie held up a palm to keep him quiet.

"First I want to know that she's okay, let me speak to her" Callie tried to keep the pleading out of her tone.

"Hold on" the man simply commanded as the series of bumps coming across the line suggested he was climbing the stairs.

Tears spilled down Callie's cheeks, hot and angry as she heard the click of a lock, then a sort of muffled scuff, as the noise on the line was obscured, she guessed by a hand over the receiver. Callie and Mark sat deadly still, straining to hear the conversation on the other end of the static.

"Someone ...phone for you..." "Screw you" a female voice replied, and Callie couldn't help but let out a little gasp of air. The line was quiet for a few seconds, and then a heavy bang punctuated the silence.

"Arizona" Callie yelled, jumping to her feet, unsure of exactly where she was going.

"You tell..." the male voice came again, interrupted by static and indecipherable words "brings the girl...forget everything, ever seeing you...my kid back."

Arizona was yelling when she replied "She won't bring Brooke back here... to this, and I won't tell her to."

Callie could hear the shake in her voice, and she knew that under the fiery exterior she was showing, the real Arizona, her Arizona, was at this very moment terrified.

More Scuffing and Scraping came over the line before it cleared and the male voice spoke again, this time full of menace and distain, "We're going to have to call you back."

"No!" Callie screamed, "Listen to me..." her surgeon voice was too late, the line was already dead.

Jumping off the bed Mark grabbed her by the arm, "Come on!" he yelled, pulling her out into the corridor.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

They made it to the chief's office, had a dictaphone placed by Callie's cell, had told Bailey and the chief everything that had happened and had Eli pulling Brooke's medical records and Derek on the phone to the police.

When the cell began to ring and vibrate against the hard wood of the table, Callie's hand was around it like a flash, lifting it to her ear, when the chief's hand over her own stopped the motion. Looking up wide eyed and questioning she opened her mouth to protest but the chief beat her to it, "Callie, be cool okay? We all know how hard this is, we all love Robbins, and trust me, we'll get her back. In this guy's head we have a huge bargaining chip...So be cool"

Nodding, Callie exhaled a heavy breath, as the chief moved his hand and she flipped open the phone, immediately switching on the speaker and starting the recording device.

"Dr Torres" the voice greeted her; Bailey curled her nose in disgust, shaking her head.

"I'm here" Callie replied "I'd like to speak to Arizona" she demanded coolly.

"I think that won't be a problem now" the voice informed her with almost a hint of a smile.

Standing there, among some of her closest friends, the people she trusted most I the world, and looking around to see the fear, disgust and horror written on every one of their faces, it took all Callie's will power not to wretch.

"Calliope?" a far away whimper broke into the silence, the sound waves travelled through the room and hit Callie squarely in the chest.

"Arizona..." Callie cried out, moving to reach out to her cell, cradle it in her hands, as if somehow Arizona would feel her. "Are you okay, did he hurt you?"

The chief and Bailey exchanged a worried glance when no reply came. Arizona's heavy breathing filled the silence in the room, and Callie let out an audible sob.

"Ari..." "Calliope" Arizona cut her off, her voice breathy and cracked. "I need you to do something for me...this is important so you have to listen okay..."

Callie nodded "Okay, anything you need baby"

"I need you to give mark a message, tell him that: I'm sorry, he's an incredible cook. So much better than eating at the motel"

"What...?" Callie questioned confused, "Arizona..." she was cut short as another loud thud came across the line.

In the distance they could hear the conversation on the other end.

"Tell her to bring me my kid" the male voice boomed, nobody in the chief's office heard Arizona's reply. Seconds later the phone was moved again and just before the line went dead a sound tore through the room that shook them all.

Callie found herself on her knees. Mark had his palms and head pressed against the wall, the chief was rubbing his eyes, Bailey was muttering a prayer with tears streaming down her cheeks.

The sound replayed in Callie's mind, potent and real. Tears ran down her face, but something in her chest burned, white hot and angry. Although her muscles shook, she felt strong, adrenaline-fuelled, and ready. She had to save Arizona, she had to get to her now, and take her away from harm.

More than anything she had to hold her close, and never let her go, because never again could she hear what she had just heard. Never again could Calliope Torres hear Arizona scream.


	8. Closer

**AN: Sorry to everyone who's hating the angst. I do like my stories to have a plot occasionally...We have to have a break in the fluff somewhere right? But fear not, things are looking up, and by next chapter everyone should be almost smiley again.**

**I churned this one out pretty quick, and my mistakes are all my own.**

**Thanks so much for all the reviews, they are very much appreciated!**

**M rating is officially lifted :) Enjoy. **

Day had turned to dusk, and dusk to night. The police had paid a visit to SGMW and finally, under vehement pressure from the chief, Bailey, and the whole team, acknowledged something was indeed very wrong there. They had taken copies of the recorded phone call, statements from Arizona's colleagues, put out a missing persons report containing her description and checked the address registered on Brooke's medical records, finding nothing.

As always, life at the hospital had to go on. Although everyone went about their business, drew blood, put in central lines, performed surgeries, saved lives... there was an unspoken feeling, a collective mindset, an unacknowledged stiffness in their usually fluid routine. Dr Robbins was well liked, and loved by almost all, and everyone was both terrified for her and desperately hoping for her safe return.

Callie and Mark had been given personal leave, and spent the rest of the day holed up together in a side room close to the chief's office.

"Callie..." Mark tried to interrupt as she played back the recording for the hundredth time in the last hour. "You've gotta stop listening to that thing."

Suddenly angry, she whirled round from her perch on the edge of the hardwood table. "How can I Mark? How the hell can I stop, this is all I have..." she choked but continued, "I have to find a way to figure out where she is, I need to get to her Mark, and I needed to get there yesterday...So no, until I find her and she's here and she's safe..." The tears spilled over her cheeks again as her voice broke into a sob "I can't stop."

Mark moved from his seat to wrap his arms around her.

"I'm sorry" she whispered. Although she wanted to mean them, her words were a token gesture. Somewhere deep down she knew she shouldn't be snapping at her best friend, the only one who'd been with her every step of the way, the only one who was with her right now, fighting alongside her to bring Arizona back. Yet somehow, she didn't care. Any feeling barely registered, nothing could overpower or break through the devastating anxiety, anger, loss...pain, she was feeling, so she apologised out of habit rather than sincerity.

They sat there in silence awhile, Callie leaned her head on his strong shoulder, as he encircled her in his arms, rocking her slightly. His touch barely registered, the warmth of his side pressed against her chest did nothing to dislodge the anguish ripping through her internal organs like a train. Minutes ticked by, the recording played out again...

"_I need you to give mark a message, tell him that: I'm sorry, he's an incredible cook. So much better than eating at the motel"_

Callie's thumb thumped down on the pause button. "What does that even mean..." she asked Mark, as she'd asked him all day.

"Cal...I dunno, I really don't" he paused to rub his eyes, hard. "I don't even know what she's talking about, the only time I ever cooked for her was when you had to rain check on the theatre because of that multiple collision last month."

Callie smiled, she remembered the day perfectly, Arizona had been excited for weeks to see Aladin performed downtown, and because of work she'd left her high and dry, standing outside her apartment. Luckily Mark had intercepted her on his way home from the hospital, explained the situation, and oddly enough invited her in to wait for Callie's return. Callie felt her lips turn up slightly at the memory...Neither of them ever did tell her what they talked about that night.

Her thoughts were interrupted by Mark "We ate some crappy microwave lasagne, drank red wine and watched some crazy documentary about...Oh my god" Mark sprung to his feet.

"What?" Callie questioned, unsure what was going on.

"We watched a documentary about amazing escapes from hostage situations... She's trying to tell me something."

Callie jumped up from the desk and grabbed her best friend by the arms, "Mark, you have to figure this out, oh god...for me please, what happened. How is she going to get out?" She shook him impatiently.

"Torres" Mark boomed in his attending voice, Callie was almost hysterical now, clinging to his arms like he was her lifeboat in a shipwreck.

"Dr Torres" Mark repeated, using her professional title to snap her back into reality. "You need to back up and let me think okay? I want to find her as much...well maybe not, but Torres I want to find her, so sit down and let me think okay?"

Callie's grip on his biceps loosened, and she slowly backed to sit down on the edge of the desk, her hands clasped in her lap, knuckles white, her eyes wide and never leaving the plastic surgeons face.

Knowing his best friend was in agony waiting to hear what he had to say...which could be nothing useful... Mark decided to think out loud. "One guy convinced the captor he had Stockholm syndrome, but that would take too long..." he wracked his brains trying to remember what else he had seen.

"Think someone went out of a window or something like that...or was it a fire exit?"

Callie rolled her eyes to the sky and begged for all this to mean something.

"One guy did this cryptic clue puzzle thing when he was reading the ransom message, the FBI figured it out and saved him..." Mark tried desperately to remember more again.

"Some chick hit the guy with an iron, but I don't think that's what Robbins would be...Callie?" Mark stopped as he noticed his best friend wasn't listening.

Callie was up now from her perch, pacing around the table like a woman possessed. "It's a clue Mark. Giving the message to you was a clue...She's trying to help us."

"Help us do what?" Mark replied, puzzled "We already know she's been taken captive by some nut job...so if that's what she's trying to tell us..."

"No" Callie cut him off, "She would have figured out that he would be calling us to make his demands, so we'd know who had her... It's something else. I know it is."

Walking around and around the desk as Mark sat, his head in his hands, Callie felt the smallest flicker of something, starting to ignite deep in the pit of her stomach, before it rose up and warmed her aching heart. Hope.

Arizona, her beautiful, talented Arizona was sending her a message, a signal, a sign.

"Tell Mark, I'm sorry, he's an incredible cook. So much better than eating at the motel" Mark repeated Arizona's request. "Have you guys ever eaten at a motel?" he quizzed Callie hopefully.

"Never" Callie replied, feeling her heart begin to sink again, "I don't even remember her ever mentioning them, she's more of a hotel girl... unless..." Callie stopped short, barely daring to believe she might actually have made some headway.

"Unless she's telling us she's at a motel?" she questioned Mark, unsurely.

Mark's face immediately lit up... "That's it, Torres that's it!" he boomed, immediately jumping to his feet..."She's at a motel" he reiterated, "But which hotel? Come on Robbins..." he pleaded with her through space, "Which motel?"

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The clock read 3.00am, some of the residents, the chief, a police officer, Callie and Mark were back in the big board room again. Having googled for every motel in the area with any reference to food, lasagne, Mark, Sloan, Date, Aladin, theatre and anything else they could come up with in the name, they were all starting to lose hope again.

Everyone had been silent for a few minutes now. Meredith rested her head on Cristina's shoulder. The chief had his eyes closed and was reclining in his chair, the officer stood in the corner, feeling slightly like an uninvited guest, in this private family moment.

Karev looked around at his colleagues. "This isn't good enough" he stated plainly, earning a shocked look from the chief. "We have to work this out. We save lives every day, every single day, and now..." he looked around for support before continuing "Now we have to do it again, only this time, it's one of ours" he let a slight smirk pull at his mouth "this is Robbins, and yeah she's crazy and she wants to hit me with a brick" the chief shot a questioning look at Bailey who shook her head back in a 'don't ask'... "But we have to save her."

His energy spent Alex went back to thinking through the message again, for what seemed like the zillionth time that night. He'd thought the words through so many times, they no longer seemed to be words, just a series of letters, and sounds... "Wait!"

Karev's exclamation caused them all to look up. "What if we're not seeing wood because of the trees here?" when nobody spoke he tried again, "We've been focusing on the words... but what about the letters? This could be an anagram or a spelling, or something there"

"Karev's right" Teddy Altman quickly backed the resident up, "She said I need you to give mark a message, tell him that: I'm sorry, he's an incredible cook. So much better than eating at the motel"

Soon everyone was jumbling around letters and creating weird and wonderful words which Cristina was franticly googling and passing verdict on.

"Ishaic...I'm Sorry, He's An Incredible Cook" Teddy stated below the racket. "Try Ishaic" she repeated, yelling to make herself heard, Cristina was still busy googling a suggestion from Derek.

"Yang" she yelled in her full authoritative tone, "Try Ishaic, now" she demanded, her heart racing... _Oh please, please, come on Arizona..._

"Ishaic Motel, on the other side of town, behind Naish Court" Cristina confirmed.

Everyone immediately jumped to their feet a flurry of activity. "Now hold on..." the officer suggested, but he was barely acknowledged in their rush to get to their colleague.

"Everybody sit down" Doctor Bailey's voice broke the noise, and silence settled as confused and agitated everyone except Callie and Mark returned to their seats.


	9. How Close Is Close Enough?

Arizona awoke on the floor for a second time. Every muscle screamed now. She looked down at her blood stained shirt and quickly pushed the memories of the previous day away. It was just dawn outside; through the drafty single glazed window she could hear a bird starting its morning song.

As she tried to roll onto her back, red hot pain ripped through her side, tingling as she felt fresh blood flood the surface of her wounds. Resisting the urge to cry, she forced herself over, pressing her bleeding flesh hard against the carpet under the weight of her body.

Her quick assessment told her that the injuries she'd sustained were nasty, but not life threatening, and on that note she tried to close her eyes again, praying for sleep or unconsciousness to swallow her, and hold her safe until Calliope came to find her.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

It was almost 11am when he heard them...The slamming of car doors, male voices calling out, rapping on windows across the street. "Shit."

He bounded up the stairs and grabbed the doctor off the floor, pulling her to her feet and back into the doorway, whilst keeping one hand clamped over her mouth. When she squirmed and tried to protest he simply gave a sharp tug on the cable ties binding her bloody wrists. That was enough.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Arizona was filled with a strange kind of excitement, an almost careful, uncertain hope. Hot tears filled her eyes as her wrists throbbed beneath their restrains, but through the glass, just feet away, she heard the sounds of them searching for her.

The knocking was over, the neighbours rounded up and interviewed. They had knocked on the door of the house she was in, of course nobody had answered. Now they called out for her "Arizona...Arizona Robbins" a chorus of male and female voices screamed her name.

This went on for almost an hour.

Getting progressively brave, almost complacent, the man tightened his grip on her bloody wrists and removed the hand covering her mouth, allowing her to suck in some of the cool air circulating around the small room.

"Quiet or you'll never see any of them again" he threatened with a snarl. She nodded her compliance and he pushed her forward roughly, so they both stood just a few steps back from the window, staring down at the scene below.

Arizona's breath hitched in her throat, a low strangled moan escaped her lips. As she stared out of the window she recognised the full head of long jet black hair, the worn leather jacket, the hour-glass figure, of the woman pacing back and forth below, just feet away...Calliope.

Her restraints were twisted cruelly, getting the message she fell silent, shrinking back away from the window to acknowledge the wishes of the man holding her. He let out a small breathy laugh that smelled like whiskey into her ear.

They stayed like that for ten minutes, which felt to Arizona like an eternity. Silent tears rolled down her cheeks, unstoppable trains of water, dripping onto her clavicles and rolling down to wet her shirt. She watched, her heart bursting with love, desire, need as Callie desperately paced below.

Occasionally she'd look around, _look up, Calliope, look up please_, Arizona willed her silently to no avail. She watched, her heart breaking, her legs beginning to tremble as slowly her rescuers started to get back in their cars and move away.

She sobbed silently, as the last police officer stepped into his car, and Mark shrunk down into his silver audi, a defeated look on his face. She watched Calliope, her entire world pause, one hand on the door handle, one leg inside the car, as she scanned the area one last time, desperately calling out through the silence, reaching out an invisible hand to Arizona.

As Callie bent her knee to slide down into the car Arizona knew, _Calliope... I have to see her again, hold her again... I have to be with her, she needs me... and I need her... God this is going to hurt..._

Steeling her nerves she took in a huge lungful of air...

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

As she turned to get into Mark's car Callie Torres broke. In that moment, she almost wanted to laugh. Her life was a sick game, and her entire world had just been shattered right before her eyes. The thoughts rolled thick and fast around her head, hundreds per millisecond flooded her brain, making her eyes hurt and her heart feel numb.

She saw the officer sitting in his car, waiting to lead them back to the station, roll his window down to glance back at her. She didn't care. _I can't do this...I can't go on, go home, go anywhere, without her. She needs me and I need her and..._

"..." her thoughts were cut short by a glorious shrill cry, though it was muffled and sounded miles away it was a voice Callie could pick out from a billion others. Reflexively her eyes snapped up to follow the sound, just in time to see a pale face and flurry of blonde curls being hauled away from the upstairs window of a grimy terrace across from where she sat.

She was up and away, sprinting towards the door before she even had time to see the officer fumbling in the glove for his gun. Mark was hot on her heels.

As she reached the rickety wooden door she didn't even pause, grasping the handle she yanked down with all her might... of course it was locked.

Stepping back she ran as hard as she could, her shoulder connecting with the wood, a deafening crack sounded as it split, but still hung on.

"Let me" Mark yelled as she approached, but he was too slow. Again the brunette ran back, and this time hurtled forward with everything she had, everything she was, and broke the timber frame clean off.

Landing on dirty carpet at the bottom of a set of narrow stairs, she was on her feet and hurtling up them, without a backwards glance.

"Callie wait!" Mark's voice rumbled steps behind her.

Reaching the top she heard sounds of a scuffle coming from a bedroom off to the left, opening the door her heart dropped into her stomach. Until this moment in her life she had no idea it was possible to feel so completely broken and soul-destroyed, yet to be filled with such acidic, consuming rage.

Brooke's father was in the far corner, one hand on Arizona's bleeding wrists, the other around her throat.

"Don't..." he didn't even get time to finish his sentence before Callie was lunging towards him. He pushed Arizona roughly out of the way; she connected with the wall with a sickening thwack, and slid down to rest on the carpet.

The man reached out his hands, but Callie was faster. Grabbing an outstretched palm she twisted it back and down, thrusting the vile man backwards as another crack filled the air, he howled in pain. She grabbed his stained tshirt as he fell, pulling him back up for more.

As she swung back her fist in what would have been a punishing right hook, resulting in a broken jaw, Mark was behind her, grabbing her arms, dragging her away.

"Callie" he yelled in her ear, "Callie" over and over again, but she was white hot now, an angry scream escaped her lips as she fought her best friends grip.

Knowing she had lost it Mark did the only thing he knew would help. Lurching violently to his left he pulled Callie around until her eyes connected with the motionless heap on the floor, her face obscured by messy blonde curls.

In Callie's world, in that moment, everything was suddenly still. Her body reflexively relaxed, then tensed, pulling away, but this time desperately needing to be next to the woman that meant so much to her, who was now sprawled on the floor.

Feeling her focus shift Mark released her arms, and she half fell half leap onto the ground beside Arizona, he quickly busied himself grabbing the wailing man a little too roughly by the broken arm, and slamming him against the wall.

"No" the man cried out, as Mark drew back for a spectacular jaw breaker of his own, until he was interrupted "Dr Sloan! I've got this from here..." the officer had finally found his gun and caught up with them.

Mark remained frozen in position, shaking hard as one hand pinned the disgusting man's broken arm across his chest pressing him to the wall, and the other was clenched into a tight fist, drawn high into the air, ready to connect with a force that rivalled a train wreck.

Letting out a loud gusty breath Mark lowered his fist and stepped back, pushing hard on the injured arm as he did so, causing another howl from the man. The officer quickly stepped up to take over, one hand radioing for help, the other pointing his gun firmly at the assailants face.

"Mark" Callie's voice pitchy with concern made him spin around to face her. "Call an ambulance."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx


	10. Lost Then Found

**AN: Sorry for the slightly slower update. Unfortunately my revision is refusing to just learn itself... Med school sucks sometimes. Anyway, here's the latest instalment. Had a little wobble over keeping people in character, but I think this came out okay in the end. Reviews are love.**

**WARNING: A little M moment, someone drops the F bomb! :O you were warned.**

**I sadly still, despite trying, own nothing.**

"Baby?" Callie questioned again, her voice now a sob. Arizona's brilliant blue eyes flickered and finally opened, to stare up into the brown counterparts they had so sorely missed.

"Calliope..."she whispered. Her head hurt, her wrists hurt, her ribs hurt... Everything hurt.

"Hi" Callie smiled down at her, her eyes full of tears, "Ari, I'm so sorry. I'm sorry...You're safe now" she promised, as she slid down to lie next to her on the dirty carpet. "Mark. Call an ambulance" she demanded, wrapping her arms around her girlfriend's shoulders, as Arizona buried her face in her hair, sobs of relief wracking her small frame.

Drawing back to brush tangled blonde curls away from Arizona's face, for the first time in days Callie felt herself actually take a breath. She allowed herself a tiny moment of relief, before she turned back to the body before her.

"Can you move Ari?" she questioned ever so gently, searching the blonde's face, waiting for an answer.

"I don't know" she replied, "But my hands... m-m-my hands..." Arizona began to whimper again, as Callie leaned over her and gasped.

"Okay, Oh god, Ari, it's okay...Mark?" the latina fought back all her own emotion that was ripping through her like a tidal wave of anger and pain...and pushed it to one side to try and do what Arizona needed right now.

"Mark" she repeated desperately, as the plastic surgeon flipped his cell shut turning to her.

"Ambulance is on the way, ETA 12mins" he informed both women, shifting his body slightly to shield their view as the man responsible for all of their pain was dragged out of the door by the law enforcement officer.

"Mark... We need, some scissors, or a knife...we need something that will cut through plastic." Callie stated, her eyes dark and pleading, sorrow crushing her features.

Mark furrowed his brow confused, then stepped forward to follow his best friend's eye line over the peds surgeons back to her wrists "Oh God..." he suddenly felt nauseous, "Hold on one second Bl- Arizona, I'll be right back, and we'll take care of this..." With that he was gone down the stairs.

Callie turned her attention back to her girlfriend, who was staring blankly up at her. Gently sliding her arms under her shoulders, she lifted her head to rest in her lap.

"Baby, I'm so sorry..." she repeated again, leaning down to run her lips over her blonde curls. "The ambulance will come and everything will be fine..."

"No" she was interrupted. "No ambulance Calliope. I don't need an ambulance." The voice was still shaky but more determined now.

"Arizona..." the brunette started to argue, before she was cut off again.

"No. Calliope please... No ambulance. What I need right now is..." her voice broke and fresh tears ran into the dirty tracks of their predecessors down her cheeks, "I want you to take me home, I just need to be with you..."

At that moment Mark arrived back with a pair of kitchen scissors held in one hand and a sweater in the other. "Found these in the kitchen, cleaned them best I could, and this was in my trunk, it's probably the cleanest we're going to get" he informed Callie.

Looking back up at her best friend Callie nodded, which told Mark everything he needed to know, and turned her face down to press her lips back to Arizona's temple.

"Okay Robbins" Mark said, moving to kneel beside Callie, "This is going to sting a little."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

An hour later Callie and Teddy sat outside an exam room at SGMW, seeing her fellow surgeon with her head buried in her hands Teddy reached over to place a hand on her knee.

"You did all you could Callie, we all did" she tried to comfort the brunette, "I know things are bad, but this is Arizona, she's gonna be okay, she'll come through this, you both will."

"Fucking cable ties" Callie raised her head to look Teddy in the eye "He had her in cable ties."

Teddy winced at the thought of her best friend suffering, but quickly pushed away her own discomfort, Callie needed her now, and that's who she was, she was able to step aside in the name of helping others. "We'll get through this" she repeated "All of us together."

Barely seeming to hear her Callie began to mumble again, most of it was unintelligible to Teddy, what she guessed to be Spanish, until "She had blood... Blood on her shirt, and her wrists, and her ankles... She was bloody and scared, and the scars...God Marks good but, will there be scars? I don't know what..."

"Callie..." Teddy interrupted her friend, "Let's just go one step at a time here, because right now that's all any of us can do. I've seen men blown to pieces, literally feet away from me, and been unable to do anything but watch." She locked eyes with the brunette to intensify her point, "We will get through this, You, Arizona, Mark, Me, Bailey, everyone, we'll all pull together and get through, because that's what we do Callie, it's who we are."

Grateful for Teddy's presence, Callie let a tear slide down her cheek as she bowed her head in agreement. As much as she knew she could depend on her friends, her colleagues, her family, to get her through this, she knew deep down it was going to take so much more than that. She knew she would never ever shake the memory of Arizona, her love, her entire life, looking so hurt...so broken.

She let her mind slide back over the whirlwind events since they found her girlfriend. Arizona had eventually agreed to come to the hospital; Callie had been insistent that she get checked over and have her wounds seen to. As soon as Arizona's restrains were off Callie could see that the wounds were deep and would need stitches, Mark had reluctantly agreed to be the one to do them. Although he really didn't want to be the one responsible for the outcome, they also all knew he was most likely to do the best job. The last thing both Arizona and Callie needed was any unnecessary scarring to remind them both of the weeks terrible events.

The door behind them clicked, breaking her thoughts, and both of the women jumped out of their seats to see Mark Sloan exiting the room. He looked downcast; his usually handsome features were twisted into a sombre expression.

"Is she okay?" Callie asked nervously, taking hold of Mark's arm.

"Physically yeah" he replied, looking from green eyes to brown. "The wounds on her limbs were subcutaneous, with some tissue hypoxia due to strangulation. I've sutured them, and with some luck they should heal nicely on their own."

Teddy looked slightly relieved, but when she glanced over to Callie she immediately noticed that the other woman did not share her expression.

"And the blood...On her shirt?" Callie questioned, her eyes desperately searching her best friend's face, as if she hoped to draw the information out of him somehow.

Mark looked uncomfortable; he raised his gaze to meet his best friends wide eyes.

"Mark?" Callie questioned again, tightening her hold on his arm.

"Cal" his voice was gentle, almost apologetic. "She's got two long deep lacerations down her left side" he watched as his best friend sucked in a sharp breath and Teddy shook her head, grabbing it with her hands almost to attempt to will the information away.

"If I had to guess I'd say a kitchen knife, given the ragged edges and inconsistency in depth. She wouldn't talk to me about what actually happened, and I'd barely sutured her up and got a dressing on before she was putting her shirt on insisting she was fine." Mark paused, letting his revelations hang between the three of them.

"Okay" Callie eventually seemed to come back to reality, "Right now she needs to heal...Just let things settle, I'll talk to her when she's better." Teddy nodded her agreement.

"So she's okay to come home?" Callie asked the plastic surgeon.

Mark looked torn for a few seconds, "Torres...She's got deep lacerations on her torso and limbs, her risk for infection..."

"I know Mark" Callie cut him off, "We know, and trust me, I will make sure we're so careful, but right now, what she needs...What I need, is to take her home and take care of her."

Mark let his eyes roam over the bronze skin of his best friend's face. He knew she was right, and though normally he would advise against it, right now Arizona was just as damaged emotionally as she was physically, and in order to begin to heal those emotional injuries she needed to go home, to be with Callie and to feel safe.

"Okay" he agreed. "I'll sign her discharge" Callie nodded and gave him a tired smile, as Teddy squeezed her hand and gave her a reassuring look.

"I have a surgery now" the cardio surgeon informed her colleagues apologetically, "I'll call by tomorrow to see how she's doing... If that's okay with you I mean..."

"Of course" the latina cut her off with a warm smile, "You're her best friend, she'll want you around."

"Okay then" Teddy agreed, "See you in the OR Mark?" Sloan nodded, "I'll see you soon" just before she turned to leave Teddy paused to add, "Callie... I'm just so sorry we didn't find her sooner" and with that she left.

"Me too" Callie mumbled to no one in particular, as she stepped around Mark and knocked gently on the door of the exam room where Arizona was waiting.


	11. I'm Ready

**AN: So here's the next piece. Sorry for taking a little longer to update, exam period is pretty much taking up all my energy right now. Med school has basically eaten my life, hoping it will spit it out around June time, so maybe then I can write at the pace I'd like to...**

**Reviews really, really are love right now, and we all need a little love right? (And maybe some morale boosting?)**

**NOTE: **_**Italics**_** are somebody's thoughts, in case you haven't read my stuff before :)**

Callie let the wheel slip through her fingers, her eyes drifted from the Seattle streets over to the milky white complexion of her girlfriend, as they made their way home together for the first time in far too many days.

Arizona's head rested against her seat, she had the window rolled down and her eyes closed, enjoying the breeze gently caressing her face as they drove.

Although silence hung between them Callie's thoughts raced at ten to the dozen; she felt almost nervous, part of her was still terrified that she was suddenly going to wake up, exhausted, in an on call room at the hospital, her eyes puffy and sore, with Mark unshaven and rubbing his eyes next to her.

Dread still clawed at her insides, ripping holes in the feelings of relief she knew she felt somewhere deep down. She was scared, terrified, petrified, that she was going to wake up any moment, that what she had right now was just a dream, and Arizona would still be gone.

As a tear threatened to escape from her glassy eyes, she quickly wiped it away disguising the motion as a head scratch, then shot a quick glance in the direction of her girlfriend.

Still she sat motionless, eyes closed, head tilted back with the breeze ruffling her tangled curls. For a moment Callie wondered if she was sleeping, but quickly pushed the thought away.

It wasn't just the depth and rate of her breathing which gave her away. Callie had spent hours, days, possibly even weeks watching Arizona sleep. The look on her face as she dreamt was one Callie had invested precious minutes in engraving in her memory. That look of peace, contentment, of everything Callie ever dreamed of, was not the one gracing her girlfriends beautiful features now.

Turning her eyes back to the street ahead, Callie decided to give Arizona some space. _She'll talk to me when she's ready...Yep, she'll just walk right up and say 'Calliope, let's talk"._ Callie mentally sniggered at herself; she knew that was never going to happen. _She's Arizona fricken Robbins, daughter of Colonel Daniel Robbins... She's a good man in a storm. Since the day I met her, she's been my good man in a storm, and now... she's broken, and she's hurting. _

Callie bit her bottom lip and flicked on her blinker, steering the vehicle around a tight corner effortlessly still lost in thought. _ She's broken... sure she must have been broken before, I mean hasn't everyone... _The Latina briefly let her mind wonder over the times she herself had felt beyond repair, the most prominent being just before she met the beautiful blonde who she was now so desperate to see healed.

_I was broken. She fixed me, she saved me. Now it's my turn, she needs me... Arizona needs me. _Callie glanced over at her passenger again, letting her fingers slide from the gearshift and cover Arizona's pale hands as they rested in her lap.

Roused by the action the blonde stirred, her cerulean eyes opened, connecting briefly with brown before returning to rest on the scenery flying by outside of the car.

Undeterred by the response, Callie stroked gentle circles into the soft skin below her fingertips, taking care as she drove to avoid pressure on the dressings wrapping Arizona's wrists. _This is Ari...she's not gonna wanna talk about this, or any of it. She's a good man in the storm, so she'll want to pretend nothing happened, face forward and go on. She needs to deal with this, she has to heal... I'm going to have to help her...Oh my god, I have to help the queen of compartmentalisation to talk about it..._

The thought scared Callie slightly, doubt swirled in her stomach as she signalled left and made another turn on autopilot. Arizona had always been there for her, unwaveringly so. Every time Callie had been in crisis, Arizona had been right beside her, as sure as night becomes day, Arizona had stood by her. Now it was her turn.

Calliope Torres was going to have to be a good man in a storm. Sure she was a great friend, a loving sister, daughter, aunt; but when she thought about all that, nothing came close to what she knew was needed of her now.

All this wouldn't be something Callie could just put in a cast and arrange to check in 6 weeks. She would have to be a rock. Arizona, her beautiful, sweet Arizona's world had been shaken to the core, and now Calliope Torres was going to have to step up to the plate, back up all her words with her actions. She was going to have to be the steady foundations on which her girlfriend, her love, her life, could depend upon as she rebuilt and recovered from her ordeal.

The thought made Callie feel slightly sick and very anxious, niggling voices she thought had made their departure when Dr Robbins had made her entrance, resurfaced and began to whisper all the things in her ear that had held her down for so long before her princess came to save her.

_I'm still Callie Torres... The girl who lived in the basement, chewed her hair... Married a guy to fix a failing relationship...asked Bailey for sex advice._ As the thoughts flooded her mind, Callie swallowed hard and tore her eyes away from the street once more and back to the one thing that she knew could chase the doubts away.

As she drank in her girlfriend sitting inches away, the voices were quiet. As her eyes returned to the road, Calliope Torres knew one thing for sure. She was going to do this, for better or for worse. Arizona Robbins was her life, and now she was going to step up and do whatever it took, be a grown up, and face down Arizona's fear as well as her own... Calliope Torres was going to be Arizona Robbins' good man in a storm.


	12. The Storm

**AN: Thanks so much to everyone who's added this to their story alert/favourites, much appreciated.**

**Drop me a quick line and let me know this is still on the right track?**

Neither of them had said a word since they'd pulled out of the SGMW parking lot.

After unlocking the door to her apartment Callie stepped back and let Arizona inside first, as she turned around to close the door behind them a thousand thoughts filled her head. Things to say, do, all the things she felt, all the questions.

Whirling back around to face into her sitting room, Callie opened her mouth to begin to verbalise what was on her mind "Ariz..."

She was cut short as her girlfriend took two long strides forward and quickly closed the distance between them, bringing up her hands to hold either side of the brunettes face as their lips crashed together.

All their emotion, words, hunger was channelled into the kiss; as their lips moulded and tongues collided, tears slid from both blue and brown eyes.

In that moment the world seemed to slow, Arizona's hands wound into Callie's hair, and Callie in return gently cradled her body, pulling her closer, Arizona's weight pinning them both against the door.

As they finally broke for air, Arizona was the first to speak, "I love you Calliope, god... I love you so, so much, with everything, every little piece of who I am... I was so afraid..."

Shocked by her girlfriends unexpected forthcoming, Callie gazed down into her perfect face, encouraging her to continue, lost for words.

"I was so afraid Calliope, not even for myself. I was terrified that I would never see you again, of what that would do to you...to me... to us. You're my everything..."

"Arizona..." Callie whispered, all the emotion she felt poured into that one beautiful word, the one she wanted to say every day, and every hour for the rest of her life. Their lips touched again, softer this time, less urgent. Their union made of pure love, unrestrained passion.

When the kiss finally ended Callie carefully pushed Arizona's curls back from her face and cupped her chin "You need to get cleaned up, and then tonight we can do whatever you want okay... Anything" she promised.

Arizona nodded and placed another swift kiss on Callie's lips before stepping away and heading to the bedroom.

Left standing by her door Callie glanced around nervously. _She's gonna need help... I should go in there and help her. Or maybe she needs space... _Quickly shutting the rapidly derailing train of thought down Callie made up her mind and strode through the apartment to her room.

"Want some company?" she asked casually.

Her words caught Arizona off guard, causing her to jump and whip around to face Callie where she leant against the door. Her breath was ragged with fright and her eyes were wide.

"Hey..." Callie said gently, quickly crossing the room to wrap her arms around her girlfriend, "I didn't mean to scare you."

"You shouldn't sneak up on me like that Calliope" frustration was evident in Arizona's voice, but Callie didn't budge. As she held her close to her chest, she could feel the silent hot tears falling from the blondes eyes soaking into her shirt.

The embrace lasted for several seconds, as neither wanted to let the other go. Eventually it was Arizona who stepped back, quickly turning away, which Callie knew would be to wipe her eyes.

"About that company?" she questioned again, her voice soft.

"I think I just need to get clean" Arizona replied, her back still to the ortho surgeon.

Unsure of how to work around the evasion, Callie paused for a second before half-heartedly agreeing and perching on the end of the bed.

"Why don't you go make us some dinner?" Arizona questioned, still facing out the window.

"I will baby" Callie replied, "Once you get in the shower, maybe I'll make pizza with doughballs?"

Holding onto the window ledge Arizona smiled for just a second before the expression slid away again. Callie's homemade pizza was one of her favourites. "Sounds great" she replied, as her eyes began to fill with tears. Biting them back she continued, "Maybe you should go get started then it'll be ready for when I'm done."

Silence hung in the air. Both surgeons knew what the other was waiting for.

As seconds ticked by and Arizona made no indication she was willing to break the silence Callie stood up and moved behind her, wrapping her arms gently around her waist.

"Let me help you, please" she whispered into her girlfriend's ear, kissing her gently on the cheek.

"Calliope, I am fine" Arizona replied curtly, planting a quick kiss on her lips before moving away and heading towards the bathroom.

"What're you doing?" Callie's words stopped her before she could close the door.

"Taking a shower" Arizona replied with a smile that didn't quite meet her eyes.

"In your clothes?" Callie questioned again, locking her eyes onto the blondes, hoping she would just listen.

"Of course not. I'll change in here." Arizona replied, with another forced smile.

Seeing the fake expression, crumpling her girlfriend's beautiful features hit Callie somewhere deep down, somewhere that made her both hurt deeply and feel the most anger, hatred, lust for vengeance she'd ever experienced in her life, as it rose up like bile in her throat to choke her. _Since when do we have to change separately?_

"No." One word was all she said as she crossed the room in three large purposeful strides, tactfully removing the door from Arizona's grasp before gently taking hold of her by the arms and guiding her to sit on the bed, all the time her eyes never left the blonde's face.

"Calliope..." Arizona protested with another terrible forced laugh.

"No Ari...Just no okay. Stop it" Callie demanded, her voice a little harsher than usual, her hands still attached just below Arizona's shoulders, holding her body in place.

"Stop" she repeated, her voice softening just slightly. "Let me help you. Arizona you're hurt, you've been through hell, and you need to just take a minute."

Arizona sat motionless, her blue eyes staring right into Callie's brown.

Wondering if her girlfriend was even hearing anything she said Callie pressed on. "You need to stop" she repeated, struggling to maintain the strength in her tone, "Things are not okay. I'm not okay Arizona, I've been literally sick with worry, fear... I've never ever been so truly and completely scared in my life. It consumed me Ari, there was nothing left."

A tear trickled down Arizona's cheek but she remained silent.

"Baby, I'm not seeing we need to rehash the whole thing tonight, but I acknowledge that I'm not okay, and you need to do the same. You've been through so much." Callie let her eyes roam the pale face inches from hers.

She got no response, but deciding that lack of objection was at least a start she pressed on. "Let me help you Arizona" she asked again, her voice soft, her eyes full of pleading. "Let me help you okay?"

Arizona nodded, reaching up to wipe away the fresh wave of tears that fell from her eyes.

"Okay" Callie agreed with a small smile, closing the distance between them and kissing a stray tear. "I love you, so so much" she whispered.

"I love you too" Arizona replied, with a hint of a small but very real smile.

"Okay" Callie nodded. "So we're gonna need to keep those dressings dry...Plastic food wrap should do the trick right?"

Arizona nodded, then watched as the beautiful brunette disappeared to bring the required item.

_She's trying so hard. So, so hard. _More tears sprung up, and Arizona quickly wiped her eyes, fixing her gaze on the wall._ Everything's fine. I'm fine, Calliope's fine._

Callie returned and sat back down beside her before gently wrapping the dressings on her limbs to keep them dry.

"You'll need to take off your shirt" she informed the blonde, not looking up from her work on her wrist.

When she didn't feel Arizona shift to comply she repeated her request. "We need to wrap the other one too baby, take off your shirt."

Finishing the wrist Callie looked up and saw Arizona staring back at her, a look made of horror and apology etched across her face. "I-I... Calliope...I can do it."

"Ari..." Callie paused, trying to phrase her next sentence delicately, before realising she couldn't. "Let me help you. Can I see?"

Almost as soon the words had left her mouth Arizona replied a little too quickly, "No...I mean, there's no need, I can fix it myself, there's no need for you to worry...maybe if you just start dinner..." Arizona trailed off.

"Baby, I love you so much. I love you no matter what, and right now, because I love you. I want more than anything in this world to help you, and to make sure you're okay. Can you let me do that Arizona; please, for me?" Callie looked deep into slightly glassy but perfectly blue eyes as she delivered her request.

She felt a little bad for playing the i-love-you card, but Arizona's reluctance made it all the more clear to Callie that whatever was bothering her girlfriend needed to be addressed now, before she could build herself up to be even more stubborn.

Arizona let out a long shaky breath, and without a word began to unbutton her shirt.

Callie's fingers itched to reach across and help her, but seeing the way her girlfriend's usually rock steady surgeon hands were shaking, she resisted.

Arizona stood, and let the garment slide from her small frame and drift to the floor.

Callie had to bite her lip, stopping herself midway through a sharp inhalation.

A large length of surgical dressing was stuck to side of Arizona's body, curling around the left of her torso from her back to just above her navel.

Just thinking about what was under it made Callie's head burn, and pushing the thoughts away she did a quick appraisal of the rest of her girlfriend.

In places there were some small bruises, some yellowing, others violent and angry purple.

_Don't react. She let you in, don't make things worse, she needs you to be strong, I've gotta be strong. Arizona's fine...Arizona, Oh god...This is ARIZONA..._ Callie couldn't stop her eyes from filling with tears, "Baby..." she whispered.

"I'm fine Calliope" Arizona replied, before reaching to pick up the plastic wrap.

"Arizona" Callie breathed, as her voice broke and tears streamed from her chocolate eyes. She reached out and gently took the item from her girlfriend's hands.

As she wrapped a large piece of clear plastic around her girlfriend's middle, Callie placed a trail of butterfly kisses wherever she went, over the pale skin of her shoulders, down her clavicles, up her neck and on the bruises marring her arms.

With her waterproofing complete Callie let the plastic fall away, raising her eyes to meet the brilliant blue they had yearned for so painfully the last few days. Keeping her movements measured, she slowly leaned in, and kissed Arizona's perfect lips, with the most delicate kiss she had ever placed in her life.

With that she drew back slowly and pulled off her own t-shirt, before taking Arizona by the hand and leading her silently into the bathroom.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Arizona lay on her back on the bed. All of her muscles screamed from nights spend on a floor with her arms and legs immobile and flexed into unnatural positions. Images from the last half an hour whirled in her mind.

Calliope had kissed her so gently, and treated her with more tenderness that she had thought possible from another human being.

Her sometimes fiery and bad-ass Calliope had lovingly cleaned every inch of her body, washed her hair and helped her dry, before leaving her lying on the bed wearing one of her favourite old Miami baseball shirts and her panties.

Trying to shift into a more comfortable position, and quickly finding that any position right now was just painful, Arizona resigned herself to lying on her good side and closed her eyes.

She listened to the gentle bustle emanating from the kitchen, with the occasional clank of a pan, or chopping of a knife as Calliope prepared their food.

_This is heaven._ She decided, _Just being right here, laying here on this bed, in this shirt, with Calliope right next door...Just to be near to her, just to know she's here...This is heaven. _With that thought Arizona let out a heavy sigh, and snuggled her head deeper into Callie's pillow, enjoying the scent of her girlfriend's shampoo.

Within minutes she was in a deep contented sleep.


End file.
